Mark Hughes'S future remains in the balance following further talks with the Football Association of Wales yesterday.

The veteran striker is still attempting to thrash out the finer details of a four-year contract as national team manager which would allow him to play one more full season for Southampton.

But talks were unable to progress far yesterday because the player's agent, Dennis Roach, was unavoidably detained on business in Holland.

The FAW would prefer him to take the job full-time now but are so desperate to get him that they would allow him to continue playing at The Dell until May, 2001 - although they are said to want to cut his £100,000 a year salary accordingly.

Until then he aims to play on with Saints who have indicated they would like to keep him for another year although they too would surely expect him to take a drop in salary if he is combining two jobs.

Manager Dave Jones said: "We would like him to stay but we have not even sat down with Mark and his advisers yet, so there is nothing sorted at the moment."

Saints fans have been given an unexpected chance to watch Marian Pahars play for Latvia close to home.

The Latvians have been forced to re-schedule their two-game tour which originally had been due to take them up to Ipswich and Derby.

They now face Stockport tomorrow night and then on Tuesday they visit Woking, just an hour's drive up the M3.

It is sure to attract strong support from Southampton fans keen to see their new hero in action for his country although he is likely to play only the first half to ensure he does not get injured ahead of the sell-out clash at home to Tottenham.

The coup for the Conference club came about because one of their physios, Ron Johnson, is the father of Latvia manager Gary Johnson.

Football secretary Phillip Leger said: "We wrote to Gary to congratulate him on getting the job and light-heartedly said if he was ever stuck for a game he should give us a ring. We could not believe it when he did!

"But it will be a big night for our club and it would nice to think a few fans will make the trip up from Southampton to watch Marian Pahars and to see what other talent the Latvians have."

However, Saints target Imants Bleidilis is unlikely to play. As Southampton have applied for a work permit for him Department of Employment regulations bar him from entering the country until a decision has been reached.

Admission at Woking will cost £6 or £3 for concessions and £1 for children under 11 and kick-off is 7.45.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.