GUDNI Bergsson has been caught in the middle of a club v country wrangle that threatens to keep him out of Wanderers FA Cup Roses battle with Leeds.

The captain of Iceland has been called up for an international tournament in Malta next week, ruling him out of Tuesday's re-arranged Fourth Round Burnden tie.

But Wanderers boss Colin Todd was on the international hot-line today hoping to persuade the Iceland FA to release his key defender.

Bergsson is due to play against Slovenia on Wednesday - one of the three games Iceland have scheduled in the week-long tournament.

Todd confirmed today: "We've already sent a fax asking for Gudni's release and I'm prepared to speak to their manager, if necessary.

"They only want to play him in the one game but I'm hoping to convince them that we need him here for the cup tie."

Bergsson, who is on course to become Iceland's most-capped player, has been one of Wanderers most consistent performers this season and is scheduled for a key role in the tie. Ironically, while threatening to upset Todd's plans, Saturday's postponement has eased Leeds' selection problems. Tony Yeboah, Phil Masinga and Lucas Radebe will all be back from African Nations Cup commitments and defender Richard Jobson is expected to have recovered from injury.

Wanderers are wrapped up in another international incident in a bid to get the all-clear to play trialist Ben Mady Sylle in competitive games.

They were hoping to give the midfielder from Guinea his debut in tonight's reserve game at Derby but the FA can't give the go-ahead until they receive clearance. Sylle has been with German giants Bayern Munich since being released by Willem ll in Holland and there is some confusion over who currently holds his registration. Italian trialist Enzo Gambaro is scheduled to play at the Baseball Ground tonight along with fit-again Alan Thompson, who will be looking to force his way into the reckoning for a first team recall in Saturday's Ewood Park clash with Blackburn. Defenders Andy Todd and Gerry Taggart will not be involved. Todd has been told to rest after having an injection to speed up his recovery from a foot injury while Taggart's ankle problem, suffered in a training session, is taking longer than expected to clear.

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