Football: Sedloski arrives at Hillsborough

Sheffield Wednesday have signed the Macedonian international defender Goce Sedloski from the Croatian club, Hajduk Split, for pounds 1.75m.

The Owls have agreed terms with the 23-year-old Sedloski and his club after he underwent a medical, but they may have to wait up to a month for their new man to make his debut while a work permit is obtained.

The Macedonian is Ron Atkinson's second signing since returning to Hillsborough, following the arrival of the Swedish forward Niclas Alexandersson from IFK Gothenburg for pounds 750,000.

Ray Harford has made his first purchase as the manager of Queen's Park Rangers, agreeing to pay pounds 250,000 for Bradford City's Australian international midfielder George Kulcsar.

Roy Hodgson is ready to throw a teenage striker, James Beattie, in at the deep end to help Blackburn Rovers' title push. The Ewood Park manager has been unable to find a top-class forward to back up Chris Sutton and Kevin Gallacher, so 19-year-old Beattie may well face West Ham on Saturday.

The Scotland midfielder Billy McKinlay will miss Blackburn's Premiership match at home to Crystal Palace on 28 December and the FA Cup third-round tie against Wigan on 3 January after being booked for the fifth time this season at Arsenal on Saturday.

The Derby County manager, Jim Smith, could plunge a teenage rookie into Premiership action at St James' Park tonight. The 19-year-old Steve Elliott may earn his chance as injuries have ruled Smith's central defensive trio of Igor Stimac, Jacob Laursen and Christian Dailly out of contention.

Bolton Wanderers' appeal against Alan Thompson's recent red card at Blackburn has been dismissed by the Football Association, so the midfielder will be banned for matches against Leeds, Barnsley and Everton.

The former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, who was last week given a fine and a suspended ban for breaching FA betting rules, played for Oldham Athletic in a private practice match at Bury yesterday.

Grobbelaar, who was on Sheffield Wednesday's books earlier this season, may now sign a short-term deal for Oldham, whose manager, Neil Warnock, signed him for Plymouth Argyle at the start of last season.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Football Association said yesterday it could not afford to hire Grobbelaar, the national team goalkeeper, as its coach, and has given the post to Roy Barreto, an army club coach.