Chelsea's powerbrokers agree to call a truce

SOCCER:Chelsea's powerbrokers have vowed to call a truce on the disputes that have riven the club until the summer, when Jose Mourinho may no longer be in charge. The manager is expected to be allowed to make one or two minor signings before the end of the transfer window, thus cooling the damaging internecine conflicts of recent weeks.

The Portuguese manager has a long list of gripes with his employers, but is most vexed by having had to accommodate the ineffective Andriy Shevchenko in his first team. There was yet another implicit attack on the Ukrainian on Saturday when Mourinho said of Michael Ballack: "He always gives a contribution to the team and not everyone can say the same, so he can feel at least pride and honour."

Mourinho has demanded that another striker be signed this month, with Jermain Defoe of Tottenham and Valencia's David Villa having been identified as his favoured targets, but those purchases were overruled.

The manager demonstrated his displeasure by leaving Shevchenko out of the squad that won 4-0 against Wigan on Saturday. Although ostensibly the striker is suffering from a hamstring injury, he expected to play.

With Mourinho taking matters so decisively into his own hands, while also letting it be known that he was considering his position, the board is now ready to relent. Despite the personal association Shevchenko enjoys with the club owner, Roman Abramovich, it has been recognised that trophies may slip away from Chelsea unless the team is strengthened.

As recently as last Thursday there was no intention to bring in new players, but Chelsea's stark change of policy has been born both of Mourinho's stance and of John Terry's lingering back injury. Though he had been expected to return in time for the trip to Liverpool this Saturday, the captain may not recover before February, putting particular pressure on Chelsea's defensive options.

Chelsea may still invest in a new striker and a centre-half as early as this week. Deportivo La Coruna's Jorge Andrade, one of Mourinho's targets, is believed to be available on loan.

Bolton's Tal Ben Haim has repeatedly been offered to Chelsea, although the £3 million fee is considered prohibitive; a £1 million move for Oguchi Onyewu at Standard Liege might be more realistic.

Guardian Service

Reading striker Kevin Doyle is in danger of missing the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2008 qualifier against San Marino on February 7th after suffering a hamstring injury playing against Everton in the English Premiership yesterday.

Doyle limped off after 37 minutes of the 1-1 draw, and Reading manager Steve Coppell confirmed that the striker would be missing for a minimum of a fortnight.

Coppell said: "It's a hamstring injury and who knows? It's right in the meat of the muscle and I think it's a couple of weeks at least.

"We have no history of him having an injury. We don't think (it is serious), but you never know."