Plastic pitch means no go for Kennedy

Mo Johnston, the manager of Toronto, the Major League Soccer side, has failed in an attempt to take John Kennedy, the Celtic defender, on loan. The 23-year-old centre back has returned to action after almost three years out with a serious knee injury.

However Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager, reportedly feared that Toronto’s plastic pitch could leave Kennedy vulnerable. Johnston, who played for both Rangers and Celtic, said: “We would have been giving him the opportunity to continue his recovery at a very high level. I spoke with Gordon and John’s agent and everyone was up for it until we mentioned our stadium has a plastic pitch. They took advice from the specialist and the word then came back that he could not be risked on that surface at this stage of his career.”

Buffel may stay

Thomas Buffel, the Rangers midfield player, will return to light training this week but will not be called into first-team action until next season. The 26-year-old Belgium international has been out since early February with a knee injury that required surgery.

Buffel had been widely expected to leave Ibrox this summer, after almost joining Hannover in January. However, Walter Smith, the manager, may now keep the player who cost £2.5 million from Feyenoord in January 2005.

Tottenham hit by Huddlestone injury

Tom Huddlestone, the Tottenham Hotspur midfield player, has picked up a knee injury and will be sidelined for at least three weeks. The 20-year-old was injured during the Barclays Premiership win over Reading on Sunday after coming on as a second-half substitute. He will miss both legs of the Uefa Cup quarter-final against Seville and will still be a doubt if Tottenham reach the semi-finals.

Maradona on mend The health of Diego Maradona was improving as treatment for acute hepatitis, related to alcohol abuse, continued yesterday. “He is showing clear improvement,” Hector Pezzella, director of the Guemes Sanatorium, said. Maradona, 47, was taken by ambulance to the Buenos Aires clinic a week ago. Alfredo Cahe, Maradona’s physician, expects the former Argentina player to be in hospital for at least 15 days.

Best set to stay George Burley, the Southampton manager, has said that Leon Best is “not a million miles away” from signing a new deal at St Mary’s. The 20-year-old striker scored his first senior goal for Southampton in the 6-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, but is out of contract at the end of the season. However, Burley is confident that Best will decide to stay in the summer.

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