Chief Executive Simon Clegg admits that he is disappointed that Leicester City called off the Blues’ move for defender Sean St Ledger at the last minute. The Foxes need the Irishman as defensive cover with John Pantsil and Sol Bamba away at the Africa Cup of Nations from Saturday.
Clegg said: "I am bitterly disappointed. We expected Sean to be in the team for the Birmingham game but I got a call on Wednesday morning saying it was off.”
Speaking after Wednesday’s game at Birmingham, manager Paul Jewell said Leicester had told him they need St Ledger for Tuesday’s FA Cup replay with Nottingham Forest and it may be that the 27-year-old becomes available at some point later in the month. Town may have turned their interest elsewhere by then, however.
Leicester assistant manager Craig Shakespeare says his club need to cover themselves: "Paul Jewell had registered an interest in Sean but I don’t know how near he was to joining them, but with him being a defender we have to cover ourselves here.
"Whether the situation will change in a week, two weeks before the deadline finishes, then who knows?”
Meanwhile, on the subject of yesterday’s short-lived furore regarding Paul Jewell’s Birmingham comments about assistant referee Amy Hearn, Clegg said: "We back the manager wholeheartedly and we would be very surprised if anyone who heard the interview took issue.
"There is nothing for Paul to apologise about. Sometimes you make a mistake and put your hands up and apologise — but there is no mistake here.”
A club spokesman dismissed claims elsewhere that Clegg had put pressure on Jewell to apologise as "nonsense".
Fearn herself is reported to have told friends that she was not offended by the comments.
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