Football: Medical thwarts Jobson transfer

Richard Jobson had anticipated being in South Africa with Leeds United last night, instead he was contemplating playing against non-League Ashton United in a friendly for Oldham Athletic. His pounds 800,000 move to Elland Road collapsed yesterday when he failed a medical.

A blood disorder was revealed when the 32-year-old England B central defender was finalising the transfer, and that was enough to discourage the purchasers. "It is now unlikely we will be signing him," Howard Wilkinson, the Leeds manager, said.

Jobson has not played since December when an ankle injury turned septic. Oldham have been assured, however, that his career is not over. "He can prove his fitness by playing for us," Graeme Sharp, his player-manager, said.

Oldham have now withdrawn from a deal that would have taken Manchester City's Michel Vonk to Boundary Park for pounds 500,000. Leicester are expected to sign the centre-back.

Another player affected by illness is the 30-year-old Aberdeen defender Brian Irvine who has a mild form of multiple sclerosis. However, he has apparently been assured of a complete recovery.

One transfer that was completed yesterday was Nottingham Forest's pounds 1.6m sigining of the Torino striker, Andrea Silenzi.

Dundee United expect to complete the transfers today of Coventry City's Steven Pressley and Sandy Robertson for a combined fee of pounds 1m while Celtic will have talks with Bayer Leverkusen's German international Andreas Thom this weekend. The fee would be around pounds 1.8m.

The Crystal Palace players Nigel Martyn and Richard Shaw have both had transfer requests accepted.

Everton will be without Duncan Ferguson and their new signing, Andrei Kanchelskis, for the Charity Shield match against Blackburn at Wembley next month as they are required by Scotland and Russia respectively for European Championship qualifying matches. The club, meanwhile, have reached an "amicable agreement" with their former manager, Mike Walker, over his compensation claim after his dismissal last November.

Bolton, meanwhile, will be without John McGinlay on their Premiership debut. The Scotland striker had a hernia operation yesterday and will be out for five weeks.

Andy Cole is expected to be fit for the season's start, however, despite a virus that will force him to miss Manchester United's tour of Malaysia.