Soccer digest

Referee Rob Harris has escaped punishment from the Football Association despite another embarrassing mix-up.

Referee Rob Harris has escaped punishment from the Football Association despite another embarrassing mix-up.

The Oxford official showed Lee Hendrie his second yellow card after a foul at Highbury on Saturday, but forgot to send the Aston Villa midfielder off until the crowd and Arsenal players pointed out his mistake.

Harris hastily showed a bemused Hendrie the red card before continuing the game, which Arsenal won 1-0.

The match almost descended into the sort of farce which haunted Harris last season when he lost control of an FA Cup tie between Tranmere and Sunderland. He allowed Tranmere to substitute a player who had been sent off and then restarted the game with 11 men still on each side.

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Harris and Tony Green, his assistant during the Prenton Park debacle, were both suspended by the FA in January, but this time the official has escaped.

Chelsea's Graeme Le Saux has also managed to avoid punishment from the FA despite aiming an elbow at Sunderland's Kevin Kilbane on Saturday.

The pair were both shown the red card by referee Jeff Winter after Kilbane reacted by pushing the Chelsea defender in the chest at the Stadium of Light.

Le Saux was fined £5,000 and banned for one game by the FA in February 1999 after a confrontation with Robbie Fowler at Stamford Bridge, but, on this occasion, the FA believe Winter took all the necessary action.

Carlton Palmer, also sent off for violent conduct at the weekend, must wait until the FA's disciplinary chiefs have studied the match report from referee Peter Jones. The Coventry midfielder was shown the red card for aiming a wild kick at Chris Perry after being fouled by the Tottenham defender.

Palmer prolonged his argument with the referee, had to be restrained as he left the pitch, and then angrily booted a water bottle on his way to the tunnel. He faces a three-match ban for the red card but could be handed an additional penalty if the FA decide to charge him with misconduct.

Scotland manager Craig Brown will have to wait until the end of the month to discover if his one-match touchline ban still stands. FIFA's disciplinary committee will make a ruling on his sending off in Croatia in the week beginning Monday, October 30th.

An automatic ban has already been imposed as a result of Brown's removal from the dug-out during the 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw in Zagreb.

Richard Dunne will officially complete his £3 million move from Everton to Manchester City today. Dunne spent yesterday at Maine Road and was due to have a medical before signing a five-year contract today.

The Republic of Ireland defender will be unveiled at lunchtime at City's training ground in Carrington.

Patrick Kluivert, Barcelona's Dutch international striker, will be out of action for a month with a hip injury, the player announced on his web site yesterday.

Kluivert, injured last Wednesday in the Netherlands' 2-0 home defeat by Portugal in Rotterdam in a World Cup qualifying tie, made the announcement after consulting the club's medical staff.

Spanish champions Deportivo La Coruna have suffered a blow to their title defence and Champions League hopes. International midfielder Fran has been ruled out until December with a knee injury the club announced yesterday.

Fran hobbled off during the 3-0 league defeat by Real Madrid on Saturday after initially demanding to be left out in order to be fit for today's Champions League clash against Juventus.

Argentine First Division club Almagro have sacked coach Mario Husillos after a disastrous start to the season and plan to offer the job to Diego Maradona.

Club president Carlos Bissio and his deputy Dardo de Marchi will travel to Cuba in the next few days to discuss the vacancy with Maradona, the news agency Telam reported.

Maradona is currently in Havana recuperating after treatment for his drug addiction.