Patrick Vieira is unlikely to discover before the new year whether he will be charged by the English FA after appearing to elbow Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink during Arsenal's St Stephen's Day victory at home to Chelsea.
Vieira was caught by television cameras making contact with Hasselbaink's face and the FA is awaiting the referee Graham Barber's report, which will arrive today at the earliest. Barber is thought to have missed the incident but the FA could refer the issue to its video advisory panel.
Vieira is understood to have insisted that the collision was accidental. It happened shortly before Vieira was fouled by Graeme le Saux, an offence for which the Chelsea player was booked.
The Ipswich chairman David Sheepshanks has admitted that "arrogance", "complacency" and the arrival of too many foreign players have contributed to the club's struggles this season.
Asked for the reason's behind Ipswich's slump, he said: "Arrogance, complacency. Europe went to their heads, Europe got in the way - too many games, unfortunate injuries to key players, too many overseas players signed to the detriment of the dressing-room spirit, and rotten luck."
Southampton will today complete the £1.2 million sterling signing of the former Fulham midfielder Fabrice Fernandes in time for him to make his debut against Leeds tomorrow.
Gordon Strachan finalised a fee with Fernandes's French club Rennes last weekend and the 22-year-old has agreed a two-year contract after passing a medical.
Portsmouth's chairman Milan Mandaric is considering his future at the First Division club after his club's 2-0 setback at Gillingham - their fifth defeat in seven games.
Mandaric has invested close to £25 million sterling in Portsmouth since taking control in June 1999. But the Serbian multimillionaire is deeply disappointed by the team's recent form.
Steve Marlet, Fulham's record £11.5 million signing, yesterday took a big step in his recovery when he came through 75 minutes' action in the reserves' 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
But the French striker, out for two months with a broken leg, will play no part at home to Manchester United on Sunday.
Danny Granville is joining Crystal Palace from Manchester City for £500,000, subject to a medical. Personal terms were agreed yesterday. The left-back moved to City from Leeds for £1 million just over two years ago.
Former Italy coach Cesare Maldini was due in Paraguay yesterday to formalise a deal to become coach to the national team for the 2002 World Cup finals.
He will replace Sergio Markarian who was sacked after Paraguay lost their last two World Cup qualifiers even though they had already reached the finals in Japan and South Korea.
Dominic Matteo is undergoing tests on the hamstring injury which cut short his Leeds comeback at Bolton on Wednesday.
Matteo, who returned from a groin injury to replace Ian Harte at left back, lasted only 44 minutes before suffering a hamstring strain and making way for Harte.
South Korean officials will not offer domestic-only World Cup tickets for sale in China and Japan, despite poor sales at home.
The Korean World Cup Organising Committee admitted that around 150,000 tickets, or 30 per cent of total tickets reserved for the public in South Korea, remained unsold.
But the committee insisted it would be able to sell all the remaining tickets by May 31st, when the event starts in Seoul.
