what the papers say

Hart set for new deal?

The Daily Mail tell us...

'City hope double-your-money deal will keep young Hart in goal'

Manchester City hope to agree terms over a new four-year contract with goalkeeper Joe Hart by the end of the week. The England Under 21 international, who won his first senior cap in June, has been offered a double-your-money deal to stay at Eastlands.

Hart, 21, was on the verge of leaving in the summer before a move to Tottenham fell through, but he is now expected to follow Micah Richards, Richard Dunne and Michael Johnson in pledging his future to City.

Meanwhile, Thai prosecutors want Britain to extradite former City owner Thaksin Shinawatra after a court yesterday sentenced the exiled Prime Minister to two years in jail.

Thaksin was found guilty of abuse of power and conflict of interest for helping his wife Pojaman to buy land from a state agency at a knockdown price.

The Mail add...

'Lucky break for City: Richards injury isn't as bad as first feared'

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has received a boost with the news Micah Richards' ankle injury is not as bad as first feared. The defender did not sustain a break to his ankle in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle on Monday night but strained ligaments instead.

However, he still faces a spell on the sidelines, starting with the Barclays Premier League match against Stoke on Sunday. Nedum Onuoha, who has had his own injury problems, came on for Richards and could retain his place.

Hughes said: 'We just had to throw him in there and, given the circumstances, I thought he did okay.

'So we have got cover there but ideally we would prefer to have Micah fit and well for the weekend.

'We'll be up against opposition that are going to throw balls into our box and challenge for everything. We need to be able to stand up to that and I demand a reaction.'

And finally the Guardian reveal...

'Styles ready to admit he got Beye call wrong'

Newcastle United are likely to succeed in having Habib Beye cleared for Saturday's north-east derby against Sunderland, with the referee Rob Styles expected to admit that he got a tight call wrong after examining replays of Beye's challenge on the Manchester City striker Robinho in Monday's 2-2 draw.

A further indication that Styles is perceived to have got a second high-profile penalty award in three weeks wrong came in the decision not to let him referee a Premier League game this weekend. Instead he will be fourth official at Stamford Bridge on Sunday for Chelsea's match with Liverpool, before returning to the middle in a Championship game between Bristol City and Sheffield United next Tuesday.

Newcastle's appeal over Beye's sending-off will be heard by the Football Association tomorrow. Refereeing sources maintain that Styles has not been dropped, with Beye's dismissal viewed as a misjudgment rather than a blatant mistake such as the penalty Styles recently gave Manchester United against Bolton, to whom he later apologised.

Meanwhile, Manchester City's manager, Mark Hughes, has been told that Micah Richards did not break a bone in his ankle at Newcastle on Monday, as had been feared. The defender has been diagnosed with strained ligaments, and will miss Sunday's match against Stoke.