FOOTBALL SHORTS

MANCHESTER CITY have begun consulting supporters about a proposed expansion of the Etihad Stadium, including possible areas of safe standing. City want to gauge appetite for an enlarged North Stand that would raise the ground’s capacity to about 63,000 from its current 55,000. The club secured planning permission for the project in 2014 but put the idea on hold, instead focusing on adding a third tier to the South Stand. The champions are in favour of safe standing and could look to introduce rail seating behind both goals.

MANCHESTER UNITED are pouring millions of pounds into upgrading Old Trafford’s disabled facilities. United were threatened with legal action in May by the Equality and Human Rights Commission for a failure to meet requirements. Now they will create 118 new wheelchair positions and 158 new amenity seats across the stadium.

ANDY KING will push for a move away from Leicester in January after becoming frustrated under manager Claude Puel. The 30-year-old midfielder was left out of Leicester’s Premier League squad and did not even make the bench for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup victory over Southampton.

WATFORD manager Javi Gracia has signed a new fourand-a-half-year deal. The Spaniard, who took over from Marco Silva in January, becomes the first of the 10 Watford managers the Pozzo family have employed to sign a contract extension.