NEWS POUND-UP: Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne's future at Manchester City is again under threat after another run-in with Kevin Keegan over what the manager clearly feels to be the excesses of the Dubliner's social life.
Dunne's latest difficulties come after reports of an altercation with bouncers at a Liverpool nightclub at the end of an evening out with City club mates Nicky Weaver and Jeff Whitley.
The incident occurred last week and after hearing about it Keegan apparently had to be persuaded by senior squad members to settle for imposing a substantial fine on the 22-year-old Irishman.
"I have fined them the maximum that was possible," said Keegan. "If I could have fined them more I would have done. It is disappointing. They are young boys and it seems that with young boys you don't have to tell them once or twice, but three or four times."
The City boss subsequently observed that, "we've got people chomping at the bit to take Richard Dunne's place."
Despite this latest run-in Dunne's first team place at Maine Road looks secure for the moment although he has been told that the club will not tolerate any further breaches of discipline from a player who has had problems before both with his current club and during his time at Everton.
The defender can ill afford to lose his first team place as he has struggled to maintain his place in Mick McCarthy's pecking order ahead of the World Cup and his place in the Irish travelling party is already under pressure from the likes of Andy O'Brien and Gary Doherty.
Meanwhile, the highly-rated German midfielder Sebastian Deisler may miss the World Cup because of a knee problem that has been troubling him since the start of the season.
Craig Bellamy, a contender for Newcastle United's player of the year, has sustained a knee injury that will almost certainly keep him out of the next two key Premiership fixtures, against Arsenal on Saturday and Liverpool next Wednesday.
West Ham could be without Don Hutchison until next Christmas. The 30-year-old midfielder was carried off during Saturday's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough, and a scan yesterday revealed he had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
Portsmouth manager Graham Rix has been told by his chairman Milan Mandaric he has two matches to save his job following Saturday's 5-0 humiliation at West Brom.
Celtic's youth development officer Tommy Burns has turned down a chance to return to Kilmarnock as manager.
FIFA and co-hosts Japan and South Korea agreed yesterday to allow the sale of beer at stadiumsduring this year's World Cup, though fans will only be able to buy one cup of beer at a time. Budweiser is a World Cup sponsor.
