Chelsea blow as Cudicini breaks hand

Chelsea have suffered a potentially serious blow with the news that their goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini has broken a bone in his right hand.

Cudicini sustained the injury during training yesterday and will almost certainly miss tomorrow's Premiership game at Bolton Wanderers. It remains to be seen how long the Italian will be ruled out, and any absence could prove to be a major problem for Claudio Ranieri.

While the Chelsea manager has strengthened his goalkeeping options by signing Petr Cech, the Czech international does not arrive until this summer. In the meantime, he would be likely to turn to the former Tottenham keeper Neil Sullivan, who has not looked exactly convincing in several of his displays this season.

The Leeds United players yesterday officially completed the paperwork confirming their agreement to a wage deferral.

It is now six weeks since the players agreed to help the financially troubled club by consenting to a 25 per cent deferral for a five-month period to the end of June. The deferment, capped to a level which does not affect the club's younger players like James Milner and Scott Carson, was done in good faith at the time, and did not come into force until the end of last month.

Birmingham City have confirmed reports that their French international striker Christophe Dugarry has left the club by mutual consent.

The 31-year-old, a World Cup and European Championship-winner, joined on loan in January 2003 and inspired the club to a late-season run which kept them in the Premiership. He signed a permanent deal on the final day of last season but has struggled with a recurring knee problem, as well as family issues.

The Birmingham chairman, David Gold, said: "He's been living in England while his family have been in France and that's always difficult, and I think his form dropped. When the family doesn't settle, there's very little you can do."

Dugarry has made 14 League appearances this season for Birmingham, scoring one goal.