Kendall takes over at Sheffield United after Bassett reign ends

Howard Kendall stepped back into football management yesterday by taking charge of Sheffield United.

Since his short spell at Notts County, the former Everton and Manchester City manager has lost almost two stone and has got himself fit for action. He has been waiting for a call, which came yesterday from Bramall Lane.

After Dave Bassett ended his eight-year spell with the Blades, their chairman, Mike McDonald, wanted a new-look team to lead his side after his protracted take-over. Kendall's immediate task will be to lift United out of the First Division relegation zone and he will be given money to bring in new staff and players.

After steering Sheffield United from the old Third Division to the Premiership, the last two years have not been as successful, with Bassett involved in a constant struggle for funds to bolster his ailing team following relegation.

The Sheffield United board paid glowing tribute to him in a statement yesterday, expressing their gratitude to Bassett "for the outstanding contribution that he has made over the last eight years." Bassett said he was leaving reluctantly but with his head held high, "knowing that I have done my best with the limited resources made available to me."

In another managerial appointment yesterday, Mick Halsall takes over the Second Division club Peterborough, where he has been acting as caretaker manager for just over a month following John Still's resignation. Halsall played in more than 300 games for the Posh after joining them from Grimsby in 1987 before his career was ended by injury.

Birmingham City's captain, Liam Daish, has been suspended for the rest of the Anglo-Italian Cup pending a full inquiry into a brawl following a match against Ancona last month, the Italian league said on Tuesday. The decision was taken by Italian and English officials at a meeting last night. "Daish has been suspended as a precautionary measure," the statement said. "He was held responsible for the violent attack on Ancona trainer Massimo Cacciatori at the end of the Ancona-Birmingham City match on 15 November."

Ancona's Edoardo Artistico and Birmingham's Paul Tait were each suspended for one match.

Cacciatori, who said he was set upon in the dressing-room corridors, had surgery for a broken jaw and also suffered severe bruising and cuts to his left eye. He has said he will consider taking legal action.

The Manchester City defender Richard Edghill is likely to be out of action for the rest of the season, because of a knee injury. The 21-year-old, carried off at Leeds 10 days ago, has a ruptured cruciate ligament, which requires an operation.

The club's Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn suffered a similar injury in November 1993. He missed the World Cup the following summer, but after a long lay-off, Quinn has fully recovered.

The American goalkeeper Ian Feuer is thinking over a pounds 580,000 move to Luton Town after West Ham decided to let him go.