Football: Torino tangle may open way for Aberdeen

TORINO, Arsenal's next opponents in the European Cup- Winners' Cup, face a Uefa investigation over allegations of match-fixing and financial irregularities and, if found guilty, could be thrown out of European competition which could pave the way for the return of Aberdeen, who lost to the Italians in the preceding round.

The Italian fraud squad raided the Turin club's offices last October and investigators said that they believed the club had made illegal payments, using fictitious players' names in transfer deals. There have also been allegations that prostitutes were provided for match officials before a Uefa Cup match with AEK Athens two years ago.

John Deehan, who took over as Norwich's caretaker manager after Mike Walker's move to Everton, had talks with the club chairman, Robert Chase, yesterday and is today expected to be named manager until the end of the season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' board have declined to buy Darren Ferguson, the Manchester United midfielder. Their manager, Graham Turner, had lined up a deal worth around pounds 500,000, but was turned down by his directors because of the large number of midfielders already at the club.

Brentford's appeal against the reinstatement of their midfielder, Mickey Bennett, has been called off as the parties attempt to settle their differences. Bennett was sacked by the Bees' manager, Dave Webb, after breaking Joe Allon's jaw in a training- ground incident, but a Football League Appeals Commission last month ordered Brentford to take the player back.