Tofting in limbo as Bolton ponder future

Stig Tofting was suspended from first-team football by Bolton Wanderers yesterday as they wait to find out whether he wins his appeal against a four-month jail sentence in his native Denmark.

At meetings with the manager Sam Allardyce and Wanderers officials, the midfielder learned that he faces additional penalties and possibly the sack. Tofting is still considering whether to appeal against the jail term handed out by a Copenhagen court following his assault of a restaurant manager in June.

In a statement Bolton said: "The club wishes to make it clear that in no way does it condone the actions of Stig Tofting or any employee whose behaviour, whether it be whilst on business or outside working hours, is of the nature that Stig Tofting was convicted for.

"Bolton Wanderers has supported Tofting prior to his conviction and in light of the pending appeal will now be reviewing their position... Until the appeal action is resolved, in the next two weeks, Mr Tofting will not take part in any Premiership matches."

Tofting faces the termination of his contract if he misses games while in prison. If he appeals, hoping the sentence will be delayed, Bolton will probably allow him to resume playing.

Allardyce, meanwhile, has flown in the Slovenian World Cup striker Milan Osterc for a trial. Osterc has been a free agent since quitting Hapoel Tel Aviv in the summer.

Graham Rix will be named as Exeter City's new manager today after a new twist at the Third Division club. Rix, the former Chelsea coach and Portsmouth manager, was offered the post in partnership with Neil McNab last night, hours after Jan Molby had been told he was the choice. Molby was left stunned and angry by the Devon side's change of mind.

Leicester City players have agreed to defer a percentage of their wages to help the club through its financial crisis. Details of how much of their wages players would defer were not disclosed.

Blackburn's Matt Jansen is being fast-tracked for a surprise Rovers comeback against Newcastle United on Saturday after just 70 minutes of action. The striker is pencilled in for a place on the bench after more than four months of rehabilitation following a motorbike accident in the summer.

Barnsley old boys Paul Wilkinson, Craig Hignett and Ronnie Glavin are queuing up for the club's managerial vacancy. Wilkinson – now coach at Grimsby – is being linked with the post in a possible link-up with another old favourite Hignett, who is unhappy and unsettled at Blackburn. Glavin is manager of the UniBond side Wakefield and Emley.

The sacked Barnsley manager Steve Parkin will not receive compensation until the club is sold, the administrator Matthew Dunham said yesterday.

Bryan Robson is the latest name to be linked with the managerial vacancy at Ipswich. Robson, who has been out of work since his departure from Middlesbrough last year, joins a long list of possible replacements for George Burley, including Bruce Rioch, Bryan Hamilton, Leicester's Micky Adams, Ronnie Moore at Rotherham and Paul Jewell at Wigan. The Rosenborg coach Nils Arne Eggen has dismissed rumours linking him with the job.

The Crewe manager Dario Gradi has ruled himself out of the running for the technical director's post at the Football Association vacated by Howard Wilkinson.