Sporting Digest: Football

DARREN HUGHES, the Port Vale defender who was released by the First Division club at the end of last season, has been offered the chance to revive his injury-hit career at Vale Park. John Rudge, the Vale manager, told an industrial tribunal yesterday that he was prepared to give the 28- year-old former Everton, Shrewsbury and Brighton player six weeks to prove his fitness. The tribunal postponed indefinitely an unfair dismissal claim by Hughes, who has not played for Vale since he was injured in pre-season training two years ago.

FIFA, the game's world governing body, has a board of inquiry sitting in Zurich today to decide the punishment for Diego Maradona, who was expelled from the World Cup when he tested positive for drugs.

WALES SQUAD (Under-21 international friendly v Austria, Gotzis, 6 Sept): Coyne (Tranmere), S Williams (Cardiff); Brace (Wrexham), Barnhouse (Swansea), Page (Watford), S Williams (Wrexham), Davies (Hereford), Hughes (Bury), Lawton (Port Vale), R Jones (Sheffield Wednesday), Edwards (Bristol City), Hartson (Luton), L Jones (Liverpool), Taylor (Bristol Rovers), Bird (Cardiff), Kenworthy (Tranmere).

MONDAY'S LATE RESULTS: Midland Football Alliance: Brierley Hill 0 Chasetown 0. Avon Insurance Combination Second

Division (corrected result): Birmingham 4 Cardiff 0.