SoccerDigest

Hughton to be retainedTottenham are set to make clear at their a.g.m. tomorrow that they are happy for David Pleat and Republic of Ireland assistant manager Chris Hughton to remain in charge for the rest of the season while the club continue their search for a new manager.

Pleat, director of football, and Hughton, first-team coach, have taken Spurs into the English League Cup quarter-finals and out of the Premiership's bottom three since they replaced the sacked Glenn Hoddle in late September.

The pair provide stability while Spurs look for the best long-term successor to Hoddle and are likely to see out the season. However, Spurs would bring their stint to an end if the right manager became available before the summer.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Republic of Ireland and Sunderland midfielder Colin Healy sustained a fractured lower leg during Monday night's match against Coventry. Healy was stretchered off after an 80th-minute clash with defender Youssef Safri.

United had test rules

Manchester United and Rio Ferdinand would have been aware that all players must take drugs tests within an hour of being told they have been chosen to give a sample, it was confirmed yesterday.

Ferdinand's disciplinary hearing for missing a drugs test takes place next week and his legal team are expected to base their defence on a claim that he offered to provide a sample while the testers were still at Manchester United's training ground.

However, that is understood to be two hours after the intended test on September 23rd and UK Sport stipulate an hour is the limit. That information is contained within guidelines sent by UK Sport to all governing bodies they carry out drugs tests for, and these would have been sent on by the Football Association to all clubs.

Butt considers future

Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt says his frustration at being left out of Alex Ferguson's team has forced him to consider leaving Old Trafford.

Butt has made more than 350 appearances for the Premier league champions since his debut in 1992-93 but has started infrequently this season.

"My situation has looked bleak this season and I would be lying if I said otherwise," Butt told the Manchester Evening News. "At times I have thought maybe this is it for me at Old Trafford. It is dire at the moment," said Butt, who has been kept out of the United line-up by the impressive form of midfield convert Phil Neville, Roy Keane and Kleberson.

"Nobody in their right mind would want to leave this club if they are happy . . . (but) you do start thinking about having to play away from United when you are in this situation,"he added.

Houllier not facing sack

Liverpool have dismissed reports that manager Gerard Houllier faces the sack if the Premiership team fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Speculation that the Frenchman had been given an ultimatum by chairman David Moores followed the publication of the club's annual report, in which Moores said a Champions League place was the "minimum acceptable target". But Liverpool strongly rejected press interpretation of his comments.

"There was no ultimatum in the report," the club said on its website. "There was no suggestion of the manager being sacked.

"Far from laying down the law to Houllier, Moores also takes time out to salute the manager's astute summer signings as he welcomed Harry Kewell, Steve Finnan, Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama Pongolle to the club."

Cork City sign Fenn

Cork City yesterday announced the signing of the former Irish underage international Neale Fenn.

Fenn played for Spurs and Peterborough United before he joined Waterford United halfway through last season. Aged 26 he will spend the next three years with Cork.

Cork's chairman Brian Lennox also announced new sponsorship deals that will be worth E750,000 to the club over the next three years.

Youths dope test failure

German under-20 goalkeeper Alexander Walke has been suspended from all soccer after failing a drugs test, FIFA announced yesterday.

The Werder Bremen goalkeeper tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol, a cannabis metabolite, at the FIFA world youth championships in the United Arab Emirates.