Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was relieved to see midfielder Patrick Vieira cleared of assaulting a police officer by an English FA disciplinary commission - but admitted he had feared the worst. Wenger was an eye witness to the alleged tunnel bust-up between Vieira and South Yorkshire police officer Jim Tune at the end of the Premiership clash at Hillsborough on September 26th. Vieira still copped a £20,000 fine, equalling the record handed out by the FA, for a V-sign towards Wednesday fans at the end of the game which the Owls won 1-0.

Meanwhile, controversial Italian striker Paolo Di Canio has plunged his Sheffield Wednesday future back into doubt by failing to meet the Premiership club's deadline for his return from his homeland.

Di Canio, expected to return to action for Wednesday on St Stephen's Day after his 11-game ban for pushing referee Paul Alcock, is still in Italy after being granted permission to oversee his family's return to England from Rome.

But since last week he has been absent without leave, claiming he is suffering from stress and depression, and Wednesday have admitted his continued absence means a serious doubt is gathering over his Christmas date against Leicester at Hillsborough.

Wednesday manager Danny Wilson said: "He is not back from Italy yet, and quite frankly I am not sure when he will be."