Groundsman Alan Ferguson says his Portman Road surface will be fine for Saturday’s live Sky game against Swansea despite this week's snowy weather (KO 12.45pm, Sky Sports Two). Town’s high tech Teflon-coated covers were pulled across the pitch minutes after the end of Wednesday’s Carling Cup quarter-final victory over West Brom.

Ferguson says that despite heavy snow on Wednesday, there won’t be a problem: "There won't be any danger from the pitch side of things.

"There was several centimetres of snowfall on Wednesday night, but the forecast is that we won't get anything near as much in the build-up to the weekend."

Meanwhile, chief executive Simon Clegg says that Town were disappointed that England failed to land the 2018 World Cup: "We were obviously behind the England bid and were hoping to become a training venue at 2018 if the bid was successful.

"It's bitterly disappointing after all the hard work that went into the bid but I've had similar experiences before myself when we missed out with Manchester for the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

"You have to recognise that these votes are not just about the technical ability to host an event. Politics in sport play a part."

Elsewhere, former Town loanee Giovani Dos Santos is said to be on his way to Genoa in Jaunuary, although Fiorentina, Lazio and Mexican side Chivas Guadalajara are also believed to be tracking the Spurs man.

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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