SUNDERLAND ARE prepared to sell Kenwyne Jones this month but will not part with the striker until they have signed a replacement. In the interim, they hope to provoke an auction.

Birmingham City are willing to pay up to €12 million for the Trinidadian but, with Stoke City keen on a centreforward who is once again being eyed by Tottenham Hotspur, their manager, Alex McLeish, is likely to be kept waiting for an answer.

Much may depend on Sunderland’s proposed signing of Kevin Kuranyi, the former Germany striker. The 27-year-old Schalke 04 forward, who will be out of contract in the summer, is close to a €4 million move to the Stadium of Light after being tracked by Steve Bruce for some time. Kuranyi scored 19 goals in 52 appearances for Germany before falling out with national coach Joachim Löw.

Selling Jones, who signed a lucrative long-term contract last January after Sunderland rejected a €13.3 million bid from Spurs, would represent a considerable gamble on Bruce’s part. Although the striker, recruited from Southampton by Roy Keane, can be virtually unplayable on his day, Bruce has been unimpressed by his attitude this season.

Meanwhile, the big freeze has already started to bite into the weekend’s soccer. Four games in the Championship have been called off and there are 10 Scottish Cup games postponed so far and more are sure to fall. Tomorrow’s action in League One and League Two has also been decimated.

Guardian Service

Games off

Saturday– English League Championship: Preston v Doncaster; Sheffield Wed v Peterborough; Watford v Sheffield Utd Reading v Newcastle Utd. League One: Brighton v Brentford; Bristol Rovers v Stockport; Carlisle v Millwall; Charlton v Hartlepool; Gillingham v Tranmere; Milton Keynes Dons v Swindon; Oldham v Leyton Orient; Southampton v Huddersfield; Yeovil v Colchester; Southend v Walsall. League Two: Aldershot v Rochdale; Bury v Darlington; Cheltenham v Hereford; Crewe v Grimsby; Lincoln City v Accrington; Port Vale v Bradford; Rotherham v Bournemouth; Shrewsbury v Barnet; Torquay v Dagenham Redbridge; Notts County v Macclesfield; Morecambe v Burton Albion. Scottish FA Cup – Fourth round: Morton v Celtic; Kilmarnock v Falkirk; Raith v Airdrie Utd; Ayr v Brechin; Forfar v St Johnstone; Inverness v Motherwell; Albion v Stirling; Edinburgh City v Montrose; Ross County v Inverurie; Loco Works Livingston v Dundee. Scottish League – Second Division: Cowdenbeath v Arbroath. Third Division: Berwick v Stranraer; East Stirling v Queens Park.