Viduka may be recalled

Alan Nixon
Thursday 06 November 2003 01:00 GMT
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Mark Viduka could be in line for a recall to the Leeds side after his argument last weekend with the club's manager, Peter Reid.

The Australian forward was dropped from Saturday's squad to play Arsenal after turning up late for training and then missing the start of a team meeting, and was fined a week's wages yesterday. However, Reid has not ruled out Viduka making a comeback at Portsmouth on Saturday.

"Mark is available for Saturday and all I'm concerned about is working towards the Portsmouth match and picking up three much-needed points," Reid said.

Another unsettled player, Everton's David Unsworth, is wanted in a loan deal by Paul Hart's promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest. Unsworth has just had a request for a new contract rejected, and Forest hope to take advantage of that. The First Division club will ask to take the former Everton captain on loan with a view to a possible full-time transfer.

The central defender was a regular in Moyes' side, scoring the first goal of the new manager's reign when he arrived two seasons ago, but Gary Naysmith's form has pushed him out of the side. Forest see Unsworth's undoubted leadership qualities as being vital to them. Having faltered in their promotion campaign, Hart needs some battle-hardened characters in his side.

Barcelona have revealed that the transfer of Francesc "Cesc" Fabregas will cost Arsenal over £2m. But the Spanish club will receive only £700,000 for the 16-year-old midfielder, who became the youngest player to represent Arsenal in the recent Carling Cup tie with Rotherham United, since Arsenal have agreed to waive the £1.75m they were owed from the sale of Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars to Barça in July 2000.

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