Caballero trip bad news for Duffy

THE Dundee manager, Jim Duffy, has reluctantly agreed to let Fabian Caballero fly back home to Paraguay for personal reasons. The striker will now miss Saturday's game with Kilmarnock.

Duffy said: ''After he explained what exactly the matter was, I told him that I thought he could wait until after the game. But he said he had already bought a plane ticket.''

Local group eyeing up a bid for Raith

A GROUP of Kirkcaldy businessmen are weighing up a bid for Raith Rovers. The club's Glaswegian directors, Colin McGowan and Alex Short, claimed on Tuesday that they would be willing to sell their shares and a local consortium are considering buying a controlling interest.

Jim Foy, chairman of the supporters' club, said: ''The directors said that, if anyone came in, they would be willing to listen, but any proposals would have to be bomb-proof.''

McNamara set to play in Ukraine

CELTIC were last night handed a boost when Jackie McNamara returned to training after an ankle injury. The Celtic captain now expects to be fit for the Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk next week in Ukraine.

Clark set to take over at Berwick

SANDY CLARK is expected to be named as the new Berwick Rangers manager today. The former Hearts and St Johnstone manager was one of four candidates interviewed yesterday for the post vacated by Paul Smith.

The others were the former Morton manager, John McCormack, their youth coach, Neil Oliver, Sauchie's Willie Irvine and John Coughlin, the former St Mirren manager.

De Vries ready for UEFA Cup crunch

THE Hearts manager, Craig Levein, is confident that Mark de Vries will be fit to face Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup next week.

The Dutch striker's foot injury will keep him out of Saturday's game at Celtic but he should be fit in time for the trip to Holland.

Levein said: ''We sent Mark for a second scan as a precaution but he's fine.''

Meanwhile, the club have been fined over (pounds) 2000 for damage caused by fans in Braga during the last round of the UEFA Cup.