Premiership ruling shocks Birmingham

Birmingham City were left with a goalkeeping crisis last night as Nico Vaesen had a knee operation and the Premiership prevented them from signing an emergency keeper.

Vaesen seems sure to miss the rest of the season, leaving the Blues with Ian Bennett as their only experienced custodian. The Premiership has told Bruce that his club are not in "special circumstances" and that he can only sign an out-of-work goalkeeper or someone with a Nationwide League club in administration.

Brian McBride's days at Everton are numbered, despite his loan spell heroics. The United States World Cup forward is due to head back to Major League Soccer to play for Columbus Crew at the end of the month. MLS transfer negotiators said that the Everton manager, David Moyes, had made no attempt to sign the 30-year-old, who may be too old for his long-term plans.

McBride has struck five goals and has been a regular since joining Everton at the start of January, but the move was only ever going to be a loan as far as Moyes was concerned.

An MLS spokesman said: "Everton have told us they have no interest in making the deal permanent because of their financial priorities. We anticipate that Brian will return and go back to Columbus Crew for the start of the season on April 6." McBride hoped to move to England, but with Everton already carrying four other strikers he does not fit the bill for Moyes' plans for next season. McBride may now only have a couple of games left at Goodison.

Sunderland's Swedish midfielder Stefan Schwarz is set to retire at the end of the season when his contract expires. Schwarz, 33, moved to Sunderland from Valencia in 1999.

Blackburn's Norwegian striker Egil Ostenstad could be out for up to four weeks after suffering knee ligament damage during the win over Manchester City at the weekend.

The Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce, was due to watch the Brazilian defender Diego de Silva Giaretta in a charity match last night. Allardyce will decide this week whether to offer him a contract.

The Crystal Palace chairman, Simon Jordan, offered new four-year deals to Tommy Black and Julian Gray yesterday to stop them leaving the First Division club. The prolific Black is set to sign after holding out for months for improved terms, but Gray is still undecided and may have Premiership options in the summer when his deal expires.

Tottenham and Birmingham are interested in the left-sided Gray, who made a big impact against leading sides in Palace's FA Cup run. The Eagles' striker Ade Akinbiyi is set for talks with Stoke City.