WEEKEND FOOTBALL NEWS

England,

Wigan Athletic were forced to put the arrival of Steve Bruce as manager on hold due to an unresolved issue between him and current employers Birmingham City. Wigan chief executive Brenda Spencer said that the Premier League club had been unable to sign a contract as planned, but they remained committed to the former Manchester United defender. Bruce had been lined up to replace Chris Hutchings, who was sacked earlier this month after 13 games in charge. Manager Steve Bruce is leaving Birmingham City to join Premiership rivals Wigan Athletic after the clubs reached a €4.2m compensation agreement. Bruce, who previously had eight games in charge of Wigan in 2001, twice led Birmingham to promotion into the Premier League. The 46-year-old replaces Chris Hutchings, who was sacked earlier this month after 13 games in charge. Bruce had been unsettled at Birmingham with his future uncertain as the club is involved in a long-running takeover bid.

Germany,

Schalke 23.11 : Forward Kevin Kuranyi should be fit to face Valencia in the UEFA Champions League next week. Kuranyi is also in contention for Saturday's Bundesliga game at Hannover after spending almost three weeks on the sidelines with a torn thigh muscle. Midfielders Carlos Grossmuller and Jermaine Jones are both doubtful after sitting out Wednesday's training due to various injuries.

Bayern 20.11 : Bayern Munich will release defender Valerien Ismael during the winter transfer period if the Frenchman finds another club. The 32-year-old has struggled to find a regular first-team place at the German giansts after missing 18 months with knee and other injuries. Bayern also denied reports about Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez as a possible replacement for coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who has indicated that he might leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. General manager Uli Hoeness said Bayern would talk to Hitzfeld during the winter break about his future.

Werder 20.11 : Striker Hugo Almeida could be sidelined for three weeks. The 23-year-old scored the only goal in Portugal's 1-0 victory over Armenia but also injured his right thigh in the game. Almeida will miss Portugal's EURO 2008 decider against Finland on Wednesday as well as Werder Bremen's UEFA Champions League game against Real Madrid on November 28. Almeida has scored seven goals in 12 Bundesliga games for Werder Brementhis season.

Hamburg 20.11 : Huub Stevens will return to his native Netherlands to coach PSV Eindhoven once his contract with Hamburg expires in the summer. The 53-year-old will sign a two-year deal as a permanent replacement for Ronald Koeman, who recently left for Valencia. Hamburg said the Stevens wants to be closer to his ailing wife. PSV have revealed that Sef Vergoossen, currently at Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight, will replace Jan Wouters as interim coach in January. When Stevens arrives next summer, Vergoossen will stand down and work on developing the club's younger players.

Italy,

Roma 22.11 : Defender Max Tonetto has signed a two-year contract extension worth €1.8m per season, excluding performance-related bonuses. The 33-year-old, who can play in defense and midfield, has appeared eleven times in Serie A and made three UEFA Champions League appearances this season. Tonetto joined Roma in 2006 from Sampdoria.

Atalanta 20.11 : The Italian football league has closed a section of Atalanta's stadium for four months after crowd disturbances at the start of a Serie A match against Milan on November 11. A group of Atalanta fans attempted to smash through a barrier and force their way onto the field after a policeman fatally shot a Lazio fan two weeks ago. The league also ruled that Atalanta's game against Milan will be replayed without fans at a date to be announced.

Spain,

Barcelona 15.11 : Barcelona sporting director Txiki Begiristain has denied Spanish media reports that Frank Rijkaard's job as coach is under threat following the team's irregular start to the season. Begiristain also refuted suggestsions that the club had plans to sell Ronaldinho.

Atletico M 15.11 : Greek defender Giourkas Seitaridis will undergo surgery on his troublesome achilles tendon, ruling him out for up to six weeks. The 26-year-old defender, who has missed Atletico Madrid's past two games, will be absent for Greece's final two EURO 2008 qualifiers against Malta and Hungary. Seitaridis has featured in ten league matches this season.

Villarreal 13.11 : Midfielder Josico will be away from the team for six weeks after suffering a hairline fracture to his right fibula in Sunday's Primera Division defeat of Sevilla. The 32-year-old had to be replaced shortly before half-time after being tackled by Seydou Keita. Josico has made eight league appearances this season.

Sevilla 13.11 : Striker Frederic Kanoute has been ruled out of action for two weeks with a calf strain. The Mali international pulled a muscle in his right calf which forced him off at half-time of last weekend's 3-2 league defeat by Villarreal. Kanoute, 30, will miss Sevilla's Primera Division match against Mallorca following the international break and is also a doubt for the visit of Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on November 27. He has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season.