James Morrison will miss the next three games through suspension after the club ruled out an appeal against his red card picked up at Liverpool last weekend. The midfielder was dismissed for a high challenge on Fernando Torres in the second half of the 1-0 defeat at Anfield. Albion officials have decided not to appeal the dismissal, despite believing that the red card was harsh on the Scotland international. As such, Morrison will now miss the Premier League home matches against Tottenham and Birmingham, along with the Carling Cup meeting with Manchester City at The Hawthorns.
David Sullivan, one half of the Hammers' joint owners, reckons the transfer window represented mission accomplished for the club, as they managed to retain the services of Scott Parker. The midfielder attracted plenty of interest around the Premier League, but ended up staying at Upton Park. "We are pleased with the work we have done, even in these challenging times for the club," Sullivan told the club's website. "We were determined to keep Scott Parker, as well as Avram's other key players, and were able to deliver on what we promised."
Roberto Martinez, the manager, may have had a tough start to the new season, but he was given the ultimate vote of confidence from his employer earlier this week. Wigan shipped 10 goals in consecutive opening defeats to the newly-promoted Blackpool and the champions Chelsea in their opening two fixtures. However, the manager never lost the faith of his chairman, Dave Whelan, who said he too would have resigned had Martinez been hounded out. "I rate Roberto highly and said to the fans, if you want his head, you'll get mine as well," Whelan said.
Michael Kightly has been left out of Wolverhampton Wanderers' 25-man squad for the first half of the season because of his recurring injury problems. The 24-year-old winger has not played a game since November 2009 and is likely to be sent out on loan once he is fully fit. Kightly has been a star at Molineux since joining Wolves from non-league Grays Athletic in 2007. However, a broken foot, an ankle problem and then a knee injury have sidelined him since last year.
* Compiled by Paul Radley and Gary Meenaghan
