Football: Dalglish suffers Shearer scare

Newcastle United 1 Tomasson 45 Chelsea 1 Poyet 63 Chelsea win 3-1 on penalties

Newcastle United plc may have to wait for their next money. As one striking asset went into deep freeze at Goodison Park yesterday, the departure of another might well have been placed on hold. The pounds 6m Tottenham have offered for Les Ferdinand represents good business to the money men holding sway at St James' Park.

But the transfer looked too premature for Kenny Dalglish's liking as the Newcastle manager watched Alan Shearer's stretcher-borne departure in the final minute of his team's meeting with Chelsea in the Umbro International tournament.

The England captain appeared to have seriously damaged his left ankle when stretching, unchallenged, to gain possession. And, in that instant, Dalglish's pledge to welcome back Ferdinand "with open arms" should his proposed move fall through became more of an urgent plea than an open offer. "It's his ankle, but we don't know what it is," Dalglish said. "He's gone to hospital."

However, Spurs moved quickly to allay fears that Ferdinand's transfer could fall through. Daniel Sugar, Tottenham's operations manager, said: "Newcastle have signed an agreement saying they will sell us the player. If we agree personal terms with the player and if he passes a medical, he will be our player."

The blow came, ironically, after Jon Dahl Tomasson had provided further evidence of his ability to fit into the Newcastle firing line. The 20- year-old Dane insists he is an attacking midfielder rather than a ready- made striking replacement for Ferdinand, but the stunning goal he scored yesterday - his fourth of such quality in four pre-season games - suggested otherwise.

For pounds 2.2m, the price it took to prize Tomasson from the Dutch club Heerenveen, Dalglish has acquired a cut-price gem. It was the least of Newcastle's worries that his side failed to reach today's final against Everton, losing the penalty shoot-out as Tomasson, Stuart Pearce and Faustino Asprilla all missed.

It was in the same tournament a year ago that Ruud Gullit claimed his first trophy in management. The Dutchman watched with satisfaction from the bench as his team overcame Ajax in the City Ground final on that occasion but, having won a prize of greater value at Wembley in May, his mission now is to make Chelsea one of the major players in the push for the Premiership title. Only two of his five foreign reinforcements were called to arms yesterday, Dutch goalkeeper Ed De Goey and Uruguay midfielder Gustavo Poyet. Indeed, with four Brits in their ranks, the Chelsea set looked positively parochial.

They set the enterprising tone, however, with Jody Morris and Poyet forcing promising openings before Newcastle's legionnaires made an impact. Tomasson is not the only bargain Dalglish has unearthed from the foreign market. Temur Ketsbaia's blend of pace, control and industry repeatedly ripped into the side of Chelsea.

It was Ketsbaia's surging right-wing run and precise delivery that sparked Newcastle to attack after 13 minutes. Shearer headed down at the far post and Tomasson twisted in mid-air to flick the ball against De Goey's crossbar. Ketsbaia also teed-up Shearer for a thundering drive destined for the back of the net until Tomasson strayed into the line of fire. His persistence met with its inevitable dividend in first-half injury time when the cross he dispatched from the right was diverted by Keith Gillespie to Tomasson. The Dane momentarily lost control as he trapped the ball and squared up to shoot. He showed his class, however, to bully his right-foot effort into the left corner.

Gianfranco Zola's talents were instantly appreciated in the Premiership last season and English football's player of the year was the second-half star. His left-wing cross supplied Poyet's headed equaliser, in the 63rd minute. But he and his Italian compatriot Roberto Di Matteo were guilty of squandering the gilt-edged sitters that forced the issue to penalties.