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Portsmouth survive for a week

Author: Rose Young
Date: 11/02/2010
Football betting

Portsmouth have been granted a seven-day adjournment in the High Court over the winding-up petition served on the club by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

A hearing in London on Wednesday saw Pompey avoid going out of business altogether, with a packed court schedule meaning that their next hearing will not take place until a week on Friday at the earliest.

During today's proceedings, HMRC claimed that the South Coast club owe in the region of £11.5million, with the Premier League strugglers having previously stated that their debts were around £7.5million.

Sprtsbook relegation favourites Portsmouth had hoped to be given 28 days to pay off their debts, but they will now have to provide a Statement of Affairs in a week's time.

In court, lawyers acting for Pompey claimed that a couple of offers were on the table to help the club escape from their crippling debt.

For their part, representatives of HMRC described Portsmouth as 'insolvent'.

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Standard Liege's Serbia international striker Milan Jovanovic has confirmed that he has agreed a three-year contract which will see him join Liverpool next summer.

The 28-year-old had been weighing up offers from a number of top European clubs, but has now opted to try his luck at Anfield.

He told Belgian newspaper Sporza: "We have reached an agreement for three years, with the option to extend for another season."

Barcelona have rubbished reports in Spain suggesting that they have agreed a deal to sign Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas next summer.

One Barcelona-based radio station suggested that a deal for the 22-year-old Spain international, who started out as a youngster with Barca before heading to England in the summer of 2003, was nearly complete.

Everton will be forced to wait a little longer to find out the full extent of the ankle injury suffered by midfielder Marouane Fellaini during the Merseyside derby at the weekend.

The 22-year-old Belgium international was injured in a clash with Liverpool's Sotirios Kyrgiakos which saw the Reds defender sent off.

However, Fellaini has missed an appointment with a specialist and will now have to wait until Thursday to get a full diagnosis.

England have made two changes to their side to face Italy in the Six Nations this weekend, with Leicester Tigers tight-head prop Dan Cole handed a full international debut.

Twenty-two-year-old Cole steps in for Bath's David Wilson, who is still being troubled by a shoulder injury sustained in the 30-17 victory over Wales.

The other change see the fit-again Riki Flutey restored to the centre alongside Mathew Tait, with Toby Flood dropping out of Martin Johnson's XV.

Rory McIlroy is expected to figure in the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona next week, despite being told he has a lower back problem.

The 20-year-old from Northern Ireland has been suffering recently and a scan has revealed he has slight nerve damage.

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