Steve Bruce, who tried to walk out on Crystal Palace last week to join Birmingham, could find himself without a club at all.

Palace will today go to court to force their errant manager to serve a nine-month notice period and if the south London club are successful, Birmingham are ready to abandon their interest. As a result Bruce could find himself on what the Palace chairman Simon Jordan calls "gardening leave" for the rest of the season.

Jordan is playing hardball after Bruce, just 19 games into the job at Selhurst Park, decided he wanted to move to their first division promotion rivals. The 40-year-old was promptly relieved of his managerial duties, though he remains on the payroll.

Now Jordan is seeking an injunction which would ensure that the terms of any move are dictated by Palace and do not harm the club's promotion push.

The stumbling block is the inability of the clubs to agree compensation. Jordan is understood to be demanding £1million sterling. He described City's offer as "derisory".

Derby County's popular if controversial striker Fabrizio Ravanelli last night admitted that he regrets leaving Italy to return to the Premiership.

Ravanelli left Lazio during the summer after failing to get regular first-team football under the then coach Dino Zoff, but the former Italian international now feels he was too hasty in leaving the Roman club.

Ravanelli has struggled to inspire Derby this season with the Pride Park club currently bottom of the Premiership following a 5-1 defeat at Middlesbrough, another former club, 10 days ago. He has scored all but two of Derby's nine league goals this season.

"Now the coach is Alberto Zaccheroni at Lazio and, with him, maybe I would have the possibility to play more," Ravanelli said.

Leicester City striker Ade Akinbiyi yesterday ended uncertainty over his immediate future when he turned down a loan move to his former club Wolves.

Glenn Hoddle was yesterday given the manager of the month award for October after wins over Derby County, Newcastle and Middlesbrough. Leeds defender Rio Ferdinand was named player of the month.

Manchester United have rearranged their Premiership match against Liverpool at Old Trafford from Easter Monday, April 1st, to January 22nd to give them time to prepare for a possible Champions League quarter-final tie on April 2nd or 3rd.