Allardyce ready to replace Ricketts with Argentinian

The Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce, flew in the Argentinian striker Nicolas Pavlovich for a closed-door trial yesterday. He appeared in a game against Sheffield Wednesday and will sign on loan for the rest of the season if Allardyce is impressed with him over the next few days.

Pavlovich, rated at around £2m, played for Newell's Old Boys in Argentina last season but is attached to Racing Club, who are willing to loan him out for six months.

Pavlovich's former Racing team-mates Nicolas Maidana and Luis Enrique Rueda are also due to arrive in a new trend being chased by the manager. It is a gamble that holds few risks for Allardyce as all of the South Americans are being sent over by agent Barry McIntosh who is paying for their flights. Pavlovich, 24, would be an ideal replacement for the out-of-form Michael Ricketts in particular and if the loan deal is agreed then the England international may be sold in the transfer window.

West Bromwich Albion insist that no deal has yet been done to bring the Macedonian international Artim Sakiri to The Hawthorns. The CSKA Sofia midfielder, who scored direct from a corner in Macedonia's 2-2 Euro 2004 qualifier against England in October, is currently undergoing a week's trial with the club.

The West Brom manager, Gary Megson, said: "Artim's just here for a few days. Nothing has been agreed or set in stone. He's here so we can have a closer look at him and he can have a closer look at us."

The 29-year-old is contracted to the Bulgarian league leaders until next summer and is enjoying a successful season so far, helping CSKA record a club-record 13 straight wins.

Keith Curle is the new player-manager of the Second Division strugglers Mansfield. The 39-year-old former England defender succeeds Stuart Watkiss who was sacked on Monday. Curle, who was on trial at Mansfield as a player earlier in the season, becomes Mansfield's fourth manager in three-and-a-half years and faces a stiff test in his first season as manager as they are three points adrift at the foot of the table.

Curle said: "Looking at the goals against column, it's easy for me to see where the problems lie. It gives me a platform to work from, but it is all going to be have to be from the players in the end."

Mansfield have let in 53 goals in 20 league games, more than any other club in the country. "At my first meeting with the players I have told them I don't have a magic wand," he said. "All I can do is give them guidance, belief and show them physically by going out there and doing it myself."

Curle, who appointed Mansfield's Football in the Community officer John Gannon as his assistant manager, will be in charge for Saturday's FA Cup second round trip to Crewe although will be unavailable for selection as he was not registered with the club seven days before the game.

"Everything has got to be positive," he said. "I want us to score as many goals as we can, let in as few as we can and entertain the crowd. That will be success for me, though first and foremost success would be staying up right now."