Le Saux falls out with Blackburn

Football

Graeme Le Saux's future at Blackburn Rovers has been placed in further jeopardy following a furious row with the club's caretaker manager, Tony Parkes.

The confrontation took place after last Saturday's home defeat by Manchester United and is likely to result in Le Saux being dropped for Blackburn's game at Arsenal on Saturday. Ironically, Arsenal are one of several clubs keen to sign him. The left-back, who joined Blackburn from Chelsea in March 1993, is thought to be keen to return to London.

Le Saux, 28, has been criticised by Rovers fans for his recent performances and there is some bad feeling surrrounding him because of the fear that he plans to leave in the summer. The situation came to a head at the weekend when Parkes criticised Le Saux's performance against United.

Parkes now appears ready to drop Le Saux - despite the fact that Rovers have lost three of their last four Premiership games and are still in danger of slipping back into the relegation struggle.

Uefa, European football's governing body, has confirmed that England have been given an extra place in next season's Uefa Cup because of English clubs' impressive disciplinary record in European competitions last season. Norway and Sweden have been given the same reward.

England will now have four places in the Uefa Cup - one of which will go the winners of tomorrow's Coca-Cola Cup final replay between Leicester and Middlesbrough. However, if the Teesside team win both tomorrow's game and the FA Cup, they will take part in the Cup-Winners' Cup and the Uefa Cup places will all go to high finishers in the Premiership.

Mark Bosnich has been fined pounds 10,000 by Aston Villa's manager, Brian Little, following his walk-out prior to Saturday's game against Derby at the Baseball Ground. The Villa goalkeeper has apologised to Little and the club for his actions when he learned that Michael Oakes was to be preferred for the keeper's jersey.

"The outcome is he will be fined. He has said he is sorry but I did not ask for excuses or reasons for what he did," Little said. "His actions were wrong and he will now get on with playing football. I will fine him as heavily as I possibly can.

"I have put my point of view across about what sort of reactions people should have when they are left out of the side and his were outside of those and he will be punished accordingly," Little added. He also said that he was unlikely to recall Bosnich for Saturday's home match against Tottenham.

The two Wanderers, Bolton and Wolverhampton, have been punished by the Association for the brawl during their First Division match at Burnden Park in January. Bolton were fined pounds 40,000, of which pounds 30,000 has been suspended until the end of next season. Wolves were fined pounds 30,000, with pounds 22,500 suspended.

The Portsmouth manager, Terry Fenwick, has escaped punishment after allegedly making abusive remarks to the referee Andy D'Urso during a First Division match at Crystal Palace in January. Fenwick had been charged with misconduct by the FA but no disciplinary action will be taken because, according to an FA spokeswoman, the case was "not proven".