Toon fear over Slimani injury
CRAIG BELLAMY has pulled out of the running to become Oxford’s new manager.
Bellamy, right, was expected to be appointed boss of the League One side this week but made a U-turn after Thai businessman Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth completed his club takeover.
Former Reading manager Brian McDermott is now the favourite to succeed the sacked Pep Clotet. NEWCASTLE face a club versus country stand-off with Algeria over striker Islam Slimani.
He is yet to figure for Toon after his loan arrival from Leicester with a thigh problem that has sidelined him for more than six weeks.
Slimani, 29, suffered a setback in training, ruling him out of at least the next two games. But Algeria boss Rabah Madjer is keen for him to link up with the national squad.
And he hopes to have the striker, who has 27 goals in 56 Algeria games, available for the Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Gambia at the end of the month, followed by a friendly against Iran.
Newcastle do not want to jeopardise Slimani’s fitness and they will seek reassurances from Algeria that he will not come back injured again.
Manager Rafa Benitez defended signing an injured player on deadline day and said: “We’ve been cautious with him because he arrived with an injury problem. And when you go to the last day of the transfer window it’s always a risk.” ELIAQUIM MANGALA has undergone knee surgery which could rule him out of the rest of the season.
The Everton defender, right, tweeted a picture of himself from hospital. He said: “Operation done. Now, let’s get to work to come back even stronger.” ●UNDER-PRESSURE Reading manager Jaap Stam is wanted by Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem and is on a two-man shortlist with former Hull boss Leonid Slutsky.