Transfer window closes

Brechin eliminated from cup

New England boss Fabio Capello has named his first England squad ahead of the friendly match against Switzerland on February 6. David Beckham has been left out of the 30-man squad due to doubts over his fitness meaning the 32-year-old will have to wait for his 100th cap. Goalkeeper Paul Robinson is also left out while Aston Villa’s Curtis Davies and Gabriel Agbonlahor win their first call-ups.

Stuart Pearce has named his England Under-21 squad for Tuesday’s European Championship qualifier against Republic of Ireland. Aaron Lennon is included in a strong squad along with his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates Jamie O’Hara and Tom Huddlestone. The squad includes Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, Arsenal forward Theo Walcott and Middlesbrough defender David Wheater - all of whom could make the senior squad in the future according to Capello.

It was a relatively quiet transfer window deadline day. Some of the more noteworthy moves are detailed below.

Bolton Wanderers have signed 29-year-old forward Grzegorz Rasiak on loan from Southampton until the end of the season.

Derby County have signed defender Alan Stubbs from Everton on an 18-month contract while Rangers goalkeeper Roy Carroll has singed on loan until the end of the season.

Everton have signed 26-year-old Tottenham Hotspur defender Anthony Gardner on loan until the end of the season.

Fulham have signed 36-year-old striker and free agent Jari Litmanen while 29-year-old defender Toni Kallio has joined from Swiss side BSC Young Boys. The Cottagers have also swooped for 30-year-old Tottenham Hotspur defender Paul Stalteri who moves to Craven Cottage on loan until the end of the season.

Manchester City have signed Ecuador international striker Felipe Caicedo from FC Basel for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £5m. The 19-year-old has inked a four-and-a-half-year deal at Eastlands. However, City ran out of time to complete a move for Portsmouth striker Benjani as the transfer window closed.

Middlesbrough have broken their club transfer record to sign Brazil striker Afonso Alves from Heerenveen for around £12m. The 27-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year deal.

Jermain Defoe has moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Portsmouth on a long-term deal for an undisclosed fee.

Sunderland have completed the signing of 25-year-old midfielder Andy Reid from Charlton Athletic on a three-and-a-half year deal which will cost the Black Cats up to £4m. Earlier in the day Sunderland defender Greg Halford moved to Charlton on loan until the end of the season.

Totttenham Hotspur have signed Brazilian left-back Gilberto from Hertha Berlin for a reported £1.9m.

Wigan Athletic have signed 32-year-old Norway international defender Erik Hagen on loan from Russian club Zenit St Petersburg until the end of the season.

Barnsley have signed 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder Anderson de Silva from Everton on a permanent deal and took 19-year-old defender Lewin Nyatanga, from Derby County on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move.

Ipswich have signed 26-year-old midfielder David Norris from Plymouth Argyle on a three-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Watford have signed 27-year-old defender Leigh Bromby from Sheffield United on a three-and-a-half year deal for an initial fee of £600,000, which could rise to £850,000. The Vicarage Road club have also signed 28-year-old John Eustace from Stoke City on a two-and-a-half year contract for a fee of £250,000.

Former Celtic captain Neil Lennon has left Nottingham Forest to join League Two outfit Wycombe Wanderers on a free transfer.

Celtic have signed 29-year-old midfielder Barry Robson from Dundee United on a three-and-a-half year deal for a fee of about £1m. Celtic winger Jim O’Brien moves in the opposite direction on loan until the summer as part of the deal.

Rangers have signed 22-year-old Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis from Fulham on loan until the end of the season.

In the Blue Square Premier, Altrincham came from two goals behind to savage a point from a 2-2 draw with Woking at Moss Lane.

In the Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia and Angola qualified from Group D for the quarter-finals of the competition after a goalless draw. Group winners Tunisia will play Cameroon while Angola, through to the last eight for the first time, face Egypt. In the other Group D game, Senegal and South Africa bowed out of the tournament with a 1-1 draw.

Brechin City have been thrown out of the Scottish Cup by the Scottish Football Association after fielding two ineligible players in their 2-1 fourth round replay win over Hamilton Academicals at Glebe Park. Hamilton will now progress to a fifth-round tie at Aberdeen on Saturday. Both players - Michael Paton and Willie Dyer - were signed after the first goalless match between the teams, and SFA rules stipulate that only players registered prior to the first game in a cup-tie can feature in replays.

Nathan Davies

Premier League round-up

Dailly pens Rangers deal

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Manchester United reclaimed top spot in the Premier League with a 2-0 home win over Portsmouth.

Michael Ballack scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea beat Reading at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea stay third but Reading have now suffered five consecutive Premier League defeats.

Mark Noble scored a last-minute penalty as West Ham United beat Liverpool 1-0 at Upton Park.

Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur held Everton to a goalless draw at Goodison Park while Derby County and Manchester City drew 1-1 at Pride Park.

In League Two, Barnet picked up three points on the road with a 1-2 win at Hereford United.

Tonight’s Scottish Premier League match between Motherwell and Celtic at Fir Park has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Rangers have reached the final of the CIS Cup after beating Heart of Midlothian 2-0 at Hampden. Barry Ferguson and Jean Claude Darcheville were on the scoresheet for Walter Smith’s men. Rangers now await either Aberdeen or Dundee United, whose semi-final was postponed on Tuesday.

In the Africa Cup of Nations, defending champions Egypt qualified for the quarter-finals as Group C winners after a 1-1 draw with Zambia while Cameroon qualified as runners-up after a comfortable 3-0 success against Sudan. This match was notable for Samuel Eto’o’s record-breaking strikes. Eto’o converted a penalty after 28 minutes to become the record goalscorer in African Cup of Nations history with 15 goals. Six minutes later Cameroon were 2-0 up following an own goal from Mohammed Ali Khider. In the last minute Eto’o further extended his record for his side’s third. The previous record of 14 goals, held by Ivory Coast’s Laurent Pokou, has stood since 1970.

England manager Fabio Capello has appointed Stuart Pearce as a member of his coaching set-up. Pearce, 45, will still be coach of the England Under-21 side and will take charge of their game against the Republic of Ireland on February 5 and join up with senior squad a day later for the Wembley clash with Switzerland.

Abou Diaby has signed a new long-term contract at Arsenal that will keep him with the club until 2012.

Teenage striker Luke Freeman has completed a move from Gillingham to Arsenal for a fee thought to be around £200,000. The 15-year-old has signed a two-year deal to become part of Arsenal’s youth set-up on their sc0hoolboy/scholar scheme.

Aston Villa have signed 23-year-old winger Wayne Routledge from Tottenham Hotspur in a £1.5m deal. The natural right-sided player has penned an 18-month contract.

Bolton Wanderers have signed central defender Gary Cahill from Aston Villa in a deal believed to be worth about £5m.
The 22-year-old has sealed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the Reebok Stadium.

Fulham could still sign Rangers striker Daniel Cousin after FIFA claimed they have still to make a decision on his transfer. It had been reported that FIFA had refused to sanction the move as regulations forbid a player from playing for more than two clubs in one season and Cousin has already played for Lens and Rangers this term. However a FIFA spokesman said: “From FIFA’s side, the case is still pending. No decision has been made yet.”

Liverpool supporters are to launch a plan to buy the club from its current American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks. The Share Liverpool FC Group is to reveal plans for a buy-out of the club by 100,000 Reds fans around the world. The idea is based on the successful “member-share” scheme used at Barcelona.

Nashat Akram’s move to Manchester City looks to be over after the Iraqi was refused a work permit because of immigration rules that stipulate that his national side must be in the top 70 of the FIFA rankings, which Iraq are not. Akram had signed a two-and-a-half year deal earlier this month.

Tottenham Hotspur have signed 23-year-old defender Alan Hutton from Rangers on a four-year contract for a fee believed to be in the region of £9m.

West Bromwich Albion have released striker John Hartson - six months before his contract was due to expire.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have signed 26-year-old Coventry City striker Kevin Kyle on loan until the end of the season.

Rangers have signed 34-year-old West Ham United defender Christian Dailly until the end of the season and also agreed to sign goalkeeper Neil Alexander from Ipswich Town.

Nathan Davies

Match details, squad information and daily updates

Don’t forget that the AFS Football Genome Project will include full match details and squad information from the Africa Cup of Nations 2008. Data will be updated on a daily basis and our unique international database also includes extensive coverage of all the competing countries recent and historical matches.

Premier League round-up

Strachan handed touchline ban

Arsenal beat Newcastle United 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium for the second time in four days to go back to the top of the Premier League. Emmanuel Adebayor, Mathieu Flamini and Cesc Fabregas were on target for the Gunners.

Sunderland climb to 14th after a 2-0 win over Birmingham City at the Stadium of Light. Daryl Murphy scored after 15 minutes before new signing Rade Prica netted the decisive second on 65 minutes. Alex McLeish’s men are now without a win in six games.

Jeremie Aliadiere got the only goal of the game as Middlesbrough beat Wigan Athletic at the Riverside Stadium while Bolton Wanderers and Fulham played out a goalless draw at the Reebok Stadium.

Preston North End beat Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Deepdale. Youl Mawene put the home side ahead after six minutes but the Baggies equalised on 50 minutes through Zoltan Gera. Karl Hawley was on hand after 72 minutes to net the winner for North End who finished the game with nine-men as goalscorer Mawene and Chris Brown both saw red late on for second bookable offences. Charlton Athletic ended Stoke City’s 13-match unbeaten run with a 1-0 win at The Valley, while Watford were held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

In League One, Swansea City and Nottingham Forest failed to conjure a goal in their clash at the City Ground. This allowed Doncaster Rovers to move up to second with a 2-0 home win over Hartlepool United. Elsewhere, Lee Barnard scored on his home debut as Southend United beat Leeds United 1-0 at Roots Hall, Oldham Athletic beat visitors Carlisle United 2-0 but Walsall and Leyton Orient were involved in a stalemate.

Milton Keynes Dons ended their three game losing streak in League Two but were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Macclesfield Town. Meanwhile, Rotherham United slipped to third after a 3-1 defeat against Peterborough United at London Road. This allowed Darlington to jump to second with a 1-0 win over visitors Accrington Stanley.

The CIS Cup semi-final between Aberdeen and Dundee United, due to be played at Tynecastle, has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. The match has now been rescheduled for February 5.

In the Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast qualified for the last-eight of the competition as winners of Group B after a 3-0 win over Mali. Didier Drogba scored the opener for the Ivorians on his 50th appearance for his country. The Elephants will now play Guinea in Sekondi on Sunday for a place in the semi-finals. John Mikel Obi of Chelsea and Everton’s Yakubu Aiyegbeni scored second-half goals to give Nigeria a 2-0 win against Benin and ensure the Super Eagles progress as runners-up in Group B. They will now face host nation Ghana in the next round.

Former England captain Terry Butcher has agreed in principle to become part of Scotland manager George Burley’s coaching staff. The 49-year-old is finalising the details of his contract and will join up with the squad for their gathering in February. Celtic defender Steven Pressley is also considering an offer from Burley to join the backroom line-up.

Dennis Wise has been confirmed as an executive director of Newcastle United. The former Leeds United boss will help Newcastle to sign players and develop their academy. The Magpies have also brought in Tony Jimenez as vice-president - but he will play a major part in player recruitment along with new technical co-ordinator Jeff Vetere. It has been stressed that Kevin Keegan will have sole control of first-team affairs. Chairman Chris Mort said:

“This is all part of the vision that recently helped us to secure Kevin Keegan’s return to the club as manager. Two of the conclusions of our strategic review, since acquiring the club, were that the club would benefit from having a football person involved at board level, which it has not had historically, and that further senior resources are needed for recruiting players of the highest quality from this country and further afield. Dennis would like to move away from day-to-day football management to a board role and, with his considerable energy and intelligence, we believe he will do very well in this new position. With Kevin able to devote his efforts to developing and running the first-team squad, Dennis, Tony and Jeff will each help us to secure success for Newcastle United football club at all levels and for the long-term. One or two further key appointments will follow in the months ahead.”

Leeds United assistant manager Dave Bassett has left the club.

Leeds United have appointed former player Gary McAllister as their new manager. Technical director Gwyn Williams will take charge of the tonight’s game at Southend United.

FIFA have refused to sanction Daniel Cousin’s £3m move from Rangers to Fulham as rules forbid a player from appearing for more than two clubs in one season. The 30-year-old striker has already appeared for Lens and Rangers but FIFA did grant special dispensation last season to Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano, who played for Corinthians and West Ham United before moving to Liverpool.

Mohamed Sissoko has left Liverpool to join Juventus in a £8.2m deal.

Sunderland striker Andy Cole has joined Burnley on loan until the end of the season. The Clarets have also extended the loan spell of Stanislav Varga - also of Sunderland - until the end of the season.

Weymouth have appointed 61-year-old John Hollins as their new manager.

Celtic have signed 22-year-old Japanese midfielder Koki Mizuno on a three-and-a-half year contract from JEF United with Georgios Samaras, also 22, agreeing a loan deal from Manchester City until the end of the season, with the option to make the move permanent.

The Scottish FA disciplinary committee have handed Celtic manager Gordon Strachan a four-match touchline ban following a heated exchange with a steward against Aberdeen at Pittodrie in August. Referee Charlie Richmond sent the Celtic boss from the dugout during his side’s 1-3 victory for arguing with the steward who had accused his assistant Garry Pendrey of gesturing to the home fans. The committee found Strachan guilty of unacceptable conduct. Celtic will appeal.

Nathan Davies

Hayles hits late winner

Weymouth sack Tindall

Leeds United have agreed to let manager Dennis Wise join Newcastle United as the Magpies’ new director of football. The 41-year-old will work under new manager Kevin Keegan. The Elland Road club released the following statement: “We have agreed a compensation package with Newcastle for the services of Dennis Wise. He will part with the club on Tuesday after completing preparations for the game at Southend on Tuesday.”

Barry Hayles notched the only goal of the game in the 88th minute as Leicester City beat Crystal Palace at the Walkers Stadium. This was Palace’s first defeat since October 29.

Scottish Premier League side Gretna crashed out of the Scottish Cup at the fourth round stage after a 3-0 mauling by Morton at Palmerston Park. Morton now face Queen of the South in the fifth-round of the Scottish Cup at Cappielow on Saturday. Meanwhile, Kilmarnock won 0-2 at Airdrie United and Brechin City beat Hamilton Academicals 2-1 after extra time at Glebe Park.

Ghana have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations as winners of Group A after a 2-0 victory over Morocco at the Ohene Djan Stadium. First-half goals from Chelsea’s Michael Essien and Portsmouth’s Sulley Muntari saw the hosts progress. Guinea qualified as runners-up after a 1-1 draw with Namibia in Sekondi.

John Toshack has named his Wales squad for the friendly with Norway at Wrexham on February 6. West Ham United pair Craig Bellamy and Danny Gabbidon have been included despite not playing for the Hammers since last year. Both players are recovering from injury and made it through a reserve match last week as they continue their recovery from injury. Oldham Athletic striker Craig Davies wins a recall for the first-time since November 2006. Absentees include Cardiff City’s Paul Parry, West Ham United’s James Collins (knee) and Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale (foot).

Juventus have reached a deal to sign Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg at the end of the season on a three-year deal.

The new owners of Derby County are the American-based group General Sports and Entertainment. The group has agreed an investment partnership with the club, which will not involve them taking on any debt. Tom Glick, a former chief marketing officer for the New Jersey Nets basketball team, is to be brought in as a new president and chief executive. Another GSE affiliate, Tim Hinchey, will become Derby’s executive vice-president while Adam Pearson retains his position as chairman.

Reading have signed 24-year-old Mali international Jimmy Kebe for an undisclosed fee from Lens. The winger has inked a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Tottenham Hotspur have completed the £8m signing of Jonathan Woodgate from Middlesbrough having reached an agreement on personal terms following lengthy talks with the 28-year-old central defender over the weekend.

The draw has been made for the fifth round of the FA Cup with the stand-out tie seeing Manchester United host Arsenal at Old Trafford. Holders Chelsea face a home tie against League One side Huddersfield Town, Liverpool and Barnsley meet at Anfield while Portsmouth face a tricky trip to Preston North End. Sheffield United manager Bryan Robson will take on former team Middlesbrough at Bramall Lane. Two all-Championship clashes see Cardiff City tackle Wolverhampton Wanderers at Ninian Park while Coventry City and West Bromwich Albion clash at the Ricoh Arena. League One strugglers Bristol Rovers face Championship side Southampton. The ties are scheduled to take place on February 16 and 17.

Barnsley have signed 30-year-old Jon Macken from Derby County on a 18-month deal for an undisclosed six-figure fee.

Weymouth manager Jason Tindall has been sacked after just one year in the job.

Nathan Davies

FA Cup round-up

Hicks to stick with Reds

Sheffield United marched into the FA Cup fifth round after beating Manchester City 2-1 at Bramall Lane. Luton Shelton and Jon Stead grabbed first-half goals as the Blades took control. City substitute Daniel Sturridge pulled one back on 48 minutes but despite late pressure United hung on. City’s misery was compounded after the game when it was discovered that thieves had stolen between £1,500 and £2,000 from their wallets in the dressing room during the course of the afternoon.

Manchester United reached the last 16 of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. Robbie Keane put the visitors infront but Carlos Tevez equalised before the break. In the second period, Michael Dawson saw red for deliberate handball and Cristiano Ronaldo scored from the resulting penalty. Ronaldo grabbed his second goal in the 88th minute.

Cardiff City booked their place in the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 14 years after beating Hereford United of League Two 2-1 at Edgar Street. Kevin McNaughton put the Bluebirds ahead on the stroke of half-time and their lead was doubled midway through the second half when Steve Thompson converted a penalty. Theo Robinson pulled one back but the Championship side went through.

Celtic cut Rangers’ lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League to four points with a controversial win over Falkirk at the Falkirk Stadium. Scott McDonald scored the only goal of the game on 45 minutes but replays show he was lucky not to be caught offside. To add insult to injury the home side had two strong claims for a penalty turned down and Dean Holden suffered a broken leg after a tackle from Celtic’s Stephen McManus.

In the Africa Cup of Nations, Angola came from behind to beat Senegal 3-1 while Tunisia beat South Africa 3-1 to top Group D.

Portsmouth have signed 26-year-old Czech Republic striker Milan Baros on loan from French champions Lyon for the remainder of the season.

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has insisted he plans to retain his stake in the club for the foreseeable future despite speculation about a possible takeover by Dubai International Capital.

Nathan Davies

FA Cup round-up

Africa Cup of Nations

After a busy day of FA Cup fourth round action, the spotlight is shining on Havant & Waterlooville of the Blue Square South. The non-league outfit may have lost 5-2 against Liverpool at Anfield but for the majority of the game they had their illustrious rivals worried as Havant twice took the lead. Richard Pacquette and Alfie Potter were the unlikely scorers but Leiva Lucas, Yossi Benayoun (3) and Peter Crouch were all on the scoresheet for Liverpool to ensure the impossible didn’t happen in the end.

Meanwhile, credit must be given to Championship strugglers Preston North End who beat Premier League Derby County 1-4 at Pride Park. Karl Hawley scored either side of a Simon Whalley effort to give the visitors a three-goal lead at half-time. Substitute Rob Earnshaw scored his first goal for the Rams after 55 minutes but in the last minute Lewin Nyatanga was sent off for a foul, with Neil Mellor scoring the resulting penalty.

Most of the other ties followed the form book and included a 3-0 win for Arsenal over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium, a 1-2 away win for Chelsea at Wigan Athletic and a comprehensive 1-4 triumph for Wolverhampton Wanderers at Watford’s Vicarage Road.

League One side Bristol Rovers are the lowest ranked team through to the fifth round after a 0-1 win against Barnet at Underhill, Peterborough United lost 0-3 at London Road against Championship toppers West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough avoided a potential banana skin at Mansfield Town’s Field Mill with a 0-2 victory.

Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers drew 1-1 at Villa Park in the day’s only Premier League encounter.

There were two Championship games played today. At Ashton Gate, Bristol City edged past Blackpool 1-0 to climb to second in the table. Marvin Elliott scored the vital goal on 20 minutes. Burnley beat struggling Scunthorpe United 2-0 at Turf Moor

Port Vale remain bottom of League One after losing 1-3 to fellow strugglers Bournemouth at Vale Park. Both Tranmere Rovers and Walsall recorded 2-1 home victories against 10-men Yeovil Town and Gillingham respectively. Luton Town drew 1-1 with Leeds United at Kenilworth Road as Sam Parkin’s last-minute equaliser ended the home side’s run of four consecutive defeats.

Eight games were played in League Two and the highlights include Rochdale’s 0-1 victory at Milton Keynes Dons - a result that cuts their lead at the top of the table to four points. Second placed Rotherham United had Chris O’Grady to thank for a 0-1 win at Chester City while Darlington were held to a 2-2 draw by Macclesfield Town at the Darlington Arena.

The weather affected today’s football in Scotland as the Scottish Premier League matches between Motherwell and Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Fir Park and Hibernian and Gretna at Easter Road were both called off due to waterlogged pitches. In addition the Scottish Third Division clashes between Albion Rovers and Stranraer at Cliftonhill and East Stirlingshire and Dumbarton at Firs Park fell victim to the weather. The First Division match between Partick Thistle and Livingston at Firhill had been called off on Friday.

Rangers are seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League after beating St Mirren 4-0 at Ibrox with Celtic playing at Falkirk tomorrow. Elsewhere, Christian Nade scored the only goal of the game as Heart of Midlothian beat Aberdeen at Pittodrie and Kilmarnock’s poor run of form continued with a 1-2 defeat against Dundee United at Rugby Park.

In the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon’s 5-1 win over Zambia included a penalty from Samuel Eto’o, which equalled the 14-goal Nations Cup goalscoring record while Egypt beat Sudan 3-0

Nathan Davies

League One round-up

Levein and de Vries join forces

Championship side Barnsley beat Southend United of League One to become the first team into the fifth round of this season’s FA Cup. Jamal Campbell-Ryce’s 20-yard first-half strike was enough to separate the sides at Roots Hall and give the Tykes only their second away win this season.

Swansea City stretched their lead at the top of League One to a massive 11 points with a 0-4 awy win at fourth-placed Doncaster Rovers. Ferre Bodde opened the scoring after 28 minutes before second-half strikes from Guillem Bauza, Jason Scotland (penalty) and Febian Brandy completed the rout. Doncaster’s Stephen Roberts gave away the 58th-minute penalty and was sent-off as a result as the Swans continued their march towards the Championship. Elsewhere, Cheltenham Town recorded their fourth straight victory with a 1-0 win over Carlisle United at Whaddon Road. Steven Gillespie’s 20th minute strike was enough to seperate the sides. Northampton Town beat Leyton Orient 2-0 at Sixfields.

In the Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast are two points clear at the top of Group B after a comfortable 4-1 triumph over Benin while Nigeria and Mali played out a goalless draw.

There was yet more controversy at the African Cup of Nations where a rumpus erupted between Sudan players and Egyptian TV crew ahead of the Group C clash between the countries tomorrow. The Egyptian crew have claimed Sudanese players refused to grant an interview, which seemingly led to rather heated arguments at the Sudanese team hotel in Kumasi. Security guards and police were called to calm down the situation but one policeman was reported to draw a gun. No Egyptian players or officials were involved in the incident but the crew said they would be reporting events to Ghana police.

England will play Germany in a friendly match at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on November 19.

Nigel Worthington has announced a 21-man squad for the friendly against Bulgaria at Windsor Park on February 6. There is a recall for Birmingham City midfielder Damien Johnson after an 11-month absence while Linfield striker Peter Thompson is also called into the squad. Tottenham Hotspur striker Dimitar Berbatov, Aston Villa’s Stilian Petrov and Martin Petrov of Manchester City have been named in the Bulgaria squad.

Chelsea have signed Argentinian striker Franco Di Santo on a four-and-a-half year contract from Chilean side Audax Italiano for an undisclosed fee.

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have completed their £350m refinancing deal, revealed the latest design for their new stadium and thrown their support behind manager Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool striker Andrei Voronin faces six weeks out injured after suffering ligament damage to his ankle. The 28-year-old requires surgery and will certainly miss the first leg of Liverpool’s Champions League tie with Inter Milan next month.

Alan Shearer will not be returning to Newcastle United as Kevin Keegan’s assistant manager, but could still have a role with the club.

Wigan Athletic have signed 27-year-old striker Marlon King from Watford on a three-and-a-half year contract. .

Wigan Athletic have sold midfielder Denny Landzaat to Feyenoord for £1m. The 31-year-old is expected to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Dutch club.

Watford have signed 22-year-old Fulham striker Collins John on loan until the end of the season, with a view to a permanent deal.

Southend United have signed 23-year-old Tottenham Hotspur striker Lee Barnard on a two-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Dundee United manager Craig Levein has signed Mark de Vries for a third time. Levein also signed the Surinam-born striker while at Heart of Midlothian and Leicester City. The 32-year-old has signed a contract until the end of the season.

Nathan Davies

Duo in temporary charge at Saints

Sadler joins Watford

George Burley has been unveiled as the new Scotland manager. The 51-year-old signed a contract until 2012 after the Scottish Football Association agreed a compensation package with his former club, Southampton.

Meanwhile, Southampton have put John Gorman and Jason Dodd in caretaker charge.

In the Africa Cup of Nations, hosts Ghana are three points clear at the top of Group A after Junior Agogo scored the only goal of their game against Namibia. Meanwhile, 10-men Guinea beat Morocco 3-2 as Guinea captain Pascal Feindouno scored twice but was then sent-off on 67 minutes.

Benin coach Reinhard Fabisch claims he was asked to help fix the result of his side’s African Cup of Nations match against Mali. Benin lost the Group B match 1-0.

Geoff Thompson will step down as chairman of the Football Association on January 31 to make way for Lord Triesman - the FA’s first independent chairman. Thompson said: “It would be in the best interests of the FA to allow Lord David Triesman to take up his new appointment at his earliest opportunity.”

Plymouth Argyle have signed 22-year-old Exeter City striker Jamie Mackie for an initial fee of £145,000 will rise with add-ons depending on appearances and international call-ups.

Watford have signed full-back Mathew Sadler from Birmingham City on a three-and-a-half year deal for an initial fee of £750,000. The Blues have also inserted a sell-on clause into the agreement for the 22-year-old.

Nathan Davies

Africa Cup of Nations

Zaragoza appoint Irureta

Joe Cole scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea beat Everton at Goodison Park in this Carling Cup semi-final second leg. The result secures a 1-3 aggregate victory for Avram Grant’s men who now face Tottenham Hotspur in their third Carling Cup final in four years on Ferbuary 24 at Wembley.

In League One, Chris Cohen and Nathan Tyson scored in the last five minutes to salvage a point for Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw with Millwall at the New Den. Neil Harris and Jay Simpson had seemingly but the Lions in control before Forest staged their late comeback.

In the Scottish Cup fourth round, Rangers crushed East Stirlingshire 6-0 at Ibrox to set up a fifth round trip to Hibernian while Ross County beat Highland League outfit Cove Rangers 2-4 at Allan Park. County now entertain St Johnstone.

Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations got underway this evening with a 2-2 draw between Tunisia and Senegal followed by a 1-1 draw between South Africa and Angola.

The Scottish Football Association have agreed a compensation package with Southampton as they move closer to appointing George Burley as the new Scotland manager. Negotiations will continue with the 51-year-old’s agent to thrash out personal terms.

Emmanuel Adebayor has apologised for his bust-up with Arsenal team-mate Nicklas Bendtner during last night’s 5-1 Carling Cup defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. In the 83rd minute, the frustrated pair confronted each other and Bendtner appeared to suffer a cut nose. The Football Association has requested video footage of the incident and could decide to take disciplinary action. Adebayor told the club’s website: “We are both passionate about this club, but it was a mistake. I am sorry.”

Blackburn Rovers defender Zurab Khizanishvili has signed a new three-year deal with the club.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard may be sidelined for another two-week after tearing his thigh muscle for a second time during training and is now a doubt for England’s match with Switzerland on February 6.

Derby County have completed the signing of Australian international Mile Sterjovski from Genclerbirligi after he was handed a work permit on appeal.

Fulham have signed 23-year-old striker Eddie Johnson from Kansas City Wizards on a three-and-a-half year deal after he was granted a work permit.

Sunderland has signed 27-year-old Sweden striker Rade Prica from Danish side Aalborg for a fee of £2m.

Real Zaragoza have appointed Javier Irureta as their new manager following Ander Garitano’s shock decision to quit the club just a week into the job due to personal problems.

Nathan Davies