Bruce appeals Turner red card and accuses referee of prejudice

Sunderland have appealed against the red card handed out to Michael Turner at Manchester City on Saturday. Turner was dismissed after catching Gareth Barry in the face with an elbow during an aerial duel in the Black Cats' 4-3 defeat. Manager Steve Bruce branded Andre Marriner's decision "a joke" and the FA have confirmed the appeal has been lodged and the case will now be assessed to decide whether Turner has a case against what would be a three-match ban. Bruce believes Marriner's judgment may have been influenced by his criticism of the referee's performance during a recent encounter with West Ham, when he sent off Kenwyne Jones. "Because I have complained about him, I get that decision," said Bruce.

Hamstrung Rodwell ruled out for four weeks

The promising Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will be out for four weeks with a hamstring injury, the club have confirmed. The 18-year-old sustained the injury after eight minutes of last week's Europa League defeat by BATE Borisov and a scan carried out on Friday has revealed he will miss the fixtures against Sunderland and Burnley in the Premier League, and Carlisle in the FA Cup. Rodwell, who has made 22 starts for the Toffees this season, joins fellow midfielders Mikel Arteta and Phil Neville on the Goodison injury list. Everton hope club captain Neville is nearing a return from his knee injury to help ease the pressure on David Moyes' overstretched squad.

Wigan game falls victim to cold snap

Wigan Athletic's home game against Bolton Wanderers last night was postponed because of the severe weather conditions, the first Premier League game this season to fall victim to the cold snap. Heavy snow in the north-west over the weekend has made roads treacherous, but although the playing surface at the DW Stadium was deemed playable, the public areas surrounding the ground were still covered in snow and ice. A club statement read: "The match against Bolton Wanderers has reluctantly been postponed following consultation with the police and the club's safety team. Following a thorough inspection it was felt that the areas around the stadium are deemed not safe for the public. The DW Stadium pitch and the stadium itself are in perfect condition after the staff worked throughout the weekend." All tickets remain valid for the rearranged fixture, when a date is announced, but refunds are available. Bournemouth's home League Two match with Notts County was also postponed.

Capello secures friendly against Egypt at Wembley

Fabio Capello will launch his World Cup preparations on 3 March when England play Egypt at Wembley. As soon as the draw was completed in Cape Town earlier this month, Capello made it a priority to secure Egypt as his side's next opponents to help plan for the match against Algeria in their second Group C game in South Africa next year. England have never faced Algeria, who beat Egypt in a stormy play-off in Sudan to reach next summer's final. The last meeting with Egypt came during Italia '90, when Mark Wright's single goal was enough to secure victory in Cagliari.

Fit-again Davies expects battle for first-team place

Aston Villa central defender Curtis Davies admits he faces a "massive battle" to regain his place in Martin O'Neill's first team now that he has recovered after three months out following shoulder surgery. Davies was a first-team regular last season alongside the now retired Martin Laursen, but since then O'Neill has signed Richard Dunne and James Collins, while Carlos Cuellar has also found form. Davies said: "It is fantastic just to be back involved. Hopefully, I will be able to get a game in soon, although I know it is going to be really hard to get back into the first team. It will be a big challenge."