Cole will return for Arsenal's title run-in

Arsenal received a boost for their double challenge yesterday when it was revealed that Ashley Cole's knee injury is not as bad as first feared.

The left-back underwent a scan and the results showed there is no damage to his medial knee ligaments, meaning it is therefore not considered to be a recurrence of his previous injury. Although Cole will miss this weekend's game against Tottenham, the club revealed his injury is judged to be "short-term" and he should be fit for the rest of their league and FA Cup run-in, as well as England's World Cup campaign.

Cole was substituted after just 28 minutes of Arsenal's 3-0 victory at Charlton on Monday, which took the Gunners to the top of the table with a game in hand on their two main rivals, Liverpool and Manchester United.

There is still one potential cloud on the horizon for the Gunners. Patrick Vieira picked up his ninth yellow card of the season against Charlton, putting him one more caution away from a two-game ban.

The Football Association grants an effective amnesty after 14 April but Vieira must escape a booking in the two games before then to prevent any automatic suspension coming into effect two weeks later.

Everton's Jesper Blomqvist has put his Goodison career in doubt after showering the bench with a drinks bottle.

Blomqvist was fuming with the Everton manager David Moyes for substituting him in the win over Bolton on Monday and he took his anger out on the plastic container as he went to his seat on the bench. Moyes reacted angrily by going to Blomqvist's seat in the back of the dug-out to give him a lecture.

Blackburn's Matt Jansen is to delay surgery on a hernia until the season is over in order to help his side's attempts to stave off relegation.

The Portsmouth reserve-team manager Neil McNab has left the club by his own request with immediate effect. The former Manchester City midfielder departed less than a week after Harry Redknapp took over as manager in place of the sacked Graham Rix.

Leicester City will be playing at the Walkers Bowl next season, after selling the name of their new £35m ground to the local crisps manufacturer. Walkers have paid £1.5m up front for a 10-year deal

The Watford captain Filippo Galli's season is over. The 38-year-old Italian defender fractured his collarbone in a collision with his team-mate Paul Okon during Monday's 2-1 defeat at Stockport.

The West Bromwich manager, Gary Megson, has been named as the First Division manager of the month for March after steering the Baggies to third place, behind Wolves only on goal difference.

Billy Dearden has been rewarded for turning round Notts County's fortunes by claiming the prize in the Second Division. Luton's Joe Kinnear won the award in the Third Division. The Hatters won all seven of their games in March.

Fifa, the sport's world governing body, has confirmed Sepp Blatter and Issa Hayatou as the candidates for the presidency of football's world governing body. Hayatou, the president of the African Football Confederation, is the only person who has come forward to oppose the sitting president, Blatter.