Bruce will fight to keep hold of striker Zaki

Wigan manager Steve Bruce admits he faces a fight to keep Amr Zaki at the JJB Stadium following the Egyptian's stunning start to life in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old, who has already scored seven goals to top the scoring charts, joined the Latics on a season-long loan from Egyptian side Zamalek in the summer.

Bruce revealed a fee of £7.25million was agreed but he felt a permanent deal would be "a risk''. That price is now sure to be increased and there have been reports other clubs could step in in January.

Wigan's boss told the Guardian: "I want to put the record straight because, at the minute, everyone wants a piece of the fellow. The truth of the matter is he's on loan with us until June. That's a fact.

"Over the next few weeks, or however long it takes, we will try and open negotiations with Zamalek and do everything in our power to try and make sure he stays here.

"Zamalek were hoping, and that's why they took the deal, that he would do well. Obviously, the better he does, the bigger the fee. He's our player, so we're in the driving seat.

"We haven't got first refusal on anything. But we have got to see if we can agree a transfer fee with Zamalek.

"Of course, with hindsight, it would have been nice for him to have been ours. But we have still got a chance - that is the most important thing - and we will do our utmost.''

Ramos faces tough decision over King fitness

Tottenham head coach Juande Ramos will make a late decision on whether Ledley King will face Udinese tonight - when his participation would effectively rule his skipper out of the must-win clash against Bolton.

King will struggle to play twice in a week as he recovers from knee surgery, meaning a UEFA Cup game against the side second in Serie A would deny Ramos his best defender in Spurs' bid to lift themselves off the bottom of the Premier League this weekend.

"Both competitions are important,'' said Ramos. "The most important is the UEFA cup because this is our next game. On Friday, the most important is the Premier League.''

Spurs' worst start to a season in their history has been complicated by King's injury and Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavlyuchenko being cup-tied for UEFA Cup action.

Pavlyuchenko's appearance in the defeat to Stoke at the weekend has caused a stir in Russia, as his national team thought he was still suffering from an ankle injury.

"He has an injury but was in the team,'' Ramos admitted. "In the match against Stoke we were losing and in the last 20-25 minutes we needed to use him to get a draw. He didn't finish in the best condition.''

The defeat at Britannia Stadium also led to Michael Dawson being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for his reaction to being sent off, and the centre-back has requested a personal hearing to deny the charge.

Alan Hutton escaped with just a yellow card in that match following a clumsy challenge on Thomas Sorensen, who said he was a millimetre from losing his sight following the incident.

Hutton expressed his disappointment that Sorensen had criticised him.

"It's harsh,'' said the Scotland full-back. "I said I was sorry and I totally mean that. I'd like to say sorry again. Hopefully he'll be back as soon as possible.

"I've been in that position before myself and I would never go out and try to harm anyone. It was one of those things. I've received bad tackles, it's a contact sport, I don't say anything about it.''

Hutton will make his debut in Europe this season following his own foot problem, but Tom Huddlestone has an injury and did not travel.

Sporting director Damien Comolli, who has been tipped to leave the club, made the trip to Italy but chairman Daniel Levy is thought to be away on business.

David Bentley, meanwhile, has given his forthright verdict on Tottenham's start to the season, admitting he and his team-mates had no idea what they were doing.

Bentley told talkSPORT magazine: "Its been shocking, its been a bit s***. It's been a difficult start, especially for me.

"I wasn't enjoying it. It's been difficult out on the pitch. We've not been together - we didn't know where people were running, what people were doing.

"But I think we're slowly starting to get settled and people are becoming more confident.''

Barton aims to "turn negatives into positives"

Controversial Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton has vowed to use the tide of abuse heading his way to fuel his bid to return to his best form.

The 26-year-old could return to senior action for the Magpies in Saturday's derby clash with Sunderland and the Stadium of Light.

His reappearance after completing a six-match Football Association ban for a training ground incident involving former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo could hardly have come amid a more hostile atmosphere.

Barton knows he will be a target for opposing fans after also serving 74 days of a six-month prison sentence for assault and affray.

However, he is determined to use the stick as a motivating force in the attempt to repay the faith of the people who stood by him.

Barton told Sky Sports News: "It is important to me to get my career back on track. I know I am going to get stick, I know that, wherever I go, and I have no problem with that.

"That's stick is totally deserved. If anyone else was in my situation, I would probably be saying the same things people are saying about me. I have got to live with that, probably until the end of my playing days.

"There are two ways I can go: I can either let it affect me and go under and become a shadow of the players I can be; or I can turn negatives into positives and use it to my benefit to get me right on the ball and get me back where I belong.''

In a series of frank interviews in the wake of his return for the reserves on Tuesday night, Barton has opened his heart on the self-inflicted misery of the last 18 months.

However, he believes he has the character to come through the most turbulent period of his chequered career to date.

He said: "They [the critics] will always be there. I can't do anything about that, those are things that are out of my control.

"But I have a quirky kind of personality where, if people test you and people push you and push you and push you, there's something in-built in me which has got a strong sense of 'Let's prove them wrong'.

"I have always been the underdog, I have always been under-rated, and sometimes when people do that, you find a side to yourself that either goes under, or you stand there and say, 'This is what I am about'.''

Barton also paid tribute to Kevin Keegan, the man who fought his corner amid concerted calls for him to be sacked.

He said: "Mr Keegan was massive for me. He has known me a long, long time, and his support at a time when I didn't deserve support, I will be forever grateful for that.

"I will always carry that with me and be eternally grateful. He stuck his neck on the line for me and defended me when I didn't deserve defending and for that man I have got nothing but admiration.

"I was very sorry to see him go. But those things are out of my control. There is talk of him in the pipeline coming back - he is a football man, and if anyone knows this football club, it's Mr Keegan.''

But Barton has been impressed too with the job done by interim boss Joe Kinnear since he was asked to step into the void left by Keegan's resignation.

He said: "Mr Kinnear has come in and he has been a breath of fresh air. He hasn't tried to be anyone else, he has come in and been himself, as I think has been well-documented in his press conferences, and I like him.

"He is a quite straightforward guy. There's a lot of respect in the changing room for him. Mr Keegan was a tough act to follow, but Joe has got his own style and he has stuck to that, and a lot of the lads have responded.

"We were a coupe of goals down at Everton and managed to get a result, and then we were 1-0 down to [Manchester] City, down to 10 men and you would think we had 12 men on the pitch the way the guys performed that night.

"That's testament to not only Mr Kinnear, but also the backroom staff, Chris Hughton and Richard Money and Paul Barron.

"Everyone has been in it together and it has been a backs-to-the wall job and and us-against-them mentality, and thankfully the lads have been playing some good football.

"If I can go some way to helping them along in whatever is demanded from me, I will be there chipping in with them.''

Villa can't afford Santa Cruz, claims Ince

Blackburn manager Paul Ince has warned Aston Villa off a January move for Roque Santa Cruz by insisting they do not have the money to prise him from Ewood Park.

The Paraguay striker signed a new four-year deal with Rovers over the summer, but he has already been linked with a transfer to Manchester City who are now managed by Mark Hughes, the man who took him to the Lancashire club in 2007.

Villa are now reported to have joined City in the race for the South American, but Ince, speaking to The Sun, claimed: "Villa can't afford him.

"When it gets near to the transfer window, people start coming out with all these things.

"Roque signed a four-year deal, he came out and said he loves it at Blackburn. He wants to stay here and we want him to stay here.

"Until that changes, that's the only situation that matters.''

Meanwhile, Ince could be set to hand Benni McCarthy his first start of the season after the striker shed the pounds.

The South African has not scored for the club since February after claiming 24 goals in his debut season and 11 in the last campaign.

He has been limited to four substitute appearances this season and came off the bench in the goalless draw at Bolton last weekend.

McCarthy scored in the friendly against Ghana last week and is now pushing for a place in the team to face Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Ince said: "Benni came back to pre-season not quite right. He's had to work really hard to get himself to the weight he needs to be at.

"He has had a couple of games for South Africa and that has helped him. He seems to have that hunger back.

"Benni has been razor-sharp in training and he did well when he came on in the last 15 minutes against Bolton. He gives me another selection problem but that is what I get paid for.

"It is nice because Benni is a quality player and when he is right he is one of the best in the Premier League.''