Sporting Digest: Football

The veteran Argentine coach Cesar Menotti has left the Italian Serie A club Sampdoria, whom he joined in the summer.

The Leicester striker Tony Cottee has joined First Division Birmingham on loan for a month and is set to make his debut at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Middlesbrough and Republic of Ireland winger Alan Moore has had a second calf operation to save his career. Moore, 22, will miss most of the season.

Southampton have invited the Norwegian midfield player Bjorn Johansen to The Dell for a two-week trial before sealing his pounds 400,000 transfer from Tromso.

The Isthmian Football League has agreed a new sponsorship deal with the stationery and office suppliers, Rymans.

FA CARLING PREMIERSHIP Re-arranged fixtures: Wed 3 Dec: West Ham v Crystal Palace (from 3 Mon). Sun 18 Jan: Everton v Chelsea (from 17 Jan). Mon 19 Jan: Southampton v Manchester Utd (from 17 Jan). Sun 1 Feb: Aston Villa v Newcastle (from 31 Jan). Sun 8 Feb: Arsenal v Chelsea (from 7 Feb). Mon 9 Feb: Crystal Palace v Wimbledon (from 7 Feb). Sun 22 Feb: Newcastle v Leeds (from 21 Feb). Sun 1 Mar: Tottenham v Bolton (from 28 Feb). Mon 2 Mar: West Ham v Arsenal (from 28 Feb). Sun 8 Mar: Chelsea v Aston Villa (from 7 Mar). Sun 19 Apr: Chelsea v Sheffield Wednesday (from 18 Apr).