Sam’s worried by Sakho blow
BIRMINGHAM captain Paul Robinson has been handed a three-match ban to end his season – and perhaps his playing career.
The defender, right, misses the last two games of the Blues’ survival scrap after being suspended for violent conduct in Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Aston Villa. But the 38-year-old’s season-loan deal as a player-coach is also due to expire in the summer. CRYSTAL PALACE boss Sam Allardyce is facing a crisis in defence following Mamadou Sakho’s injury.
The on-loan central defender, so vital to the Eagles’ Premier League survival bid, could be out for the rest of the season after he was carried off against Tottenham.
He joins Scott Dann and James Tomkins on the injured list, and both are unlikely to be back before the season’s end.
Palace are waiting for the swelling to go down on Sakho’s knee before they can scan his injury, but he definitely misses tomorrow’s home game with Burnley. Allardyce said: “We have cover, however we cannot afford to lose anybody else. It does not look good, but we can bring in Damien Delaney to partner Martin Kelly at the back. They can do a job for us.”
Sakho has done so well that making the loan from Liverpool a permanent move is top of Allardyce’s wish-list.
He also wants more rest for players because of fixture congestion, saying: “I’ve asked the chairman to bring it up with the League.” HULL keeper Eldin Jakupovic has been told to ignore transfer speculation about his future. The 32-year-old Swiss star, left, is being linked with several top clubs but boss Marco Silva has told him to concentrate on Hull’s survival fight, with a trip to Southampton tomorrow. Silva said: “He’s having a good season but my players have to keep their focus on what we need to do.”
FIFA have fined the Albanian FA £78,000 and Italy’s FA £12,000 following crowd trouble at last month’s World Cup qualifier in Palermo. Italy won the tie 2-0.