LONDON -- Bruce Grobbelaar has been granted extra time by the English Football Association to prepare his defense against charges he took bribes to fix matches.


The Southampton and ex-Liverpool goalkeeper faced a 14-day deadline to respond to the charges. The deadline expired Monday, but last week Grobbelaar's lawyers complained the police had ordered the FA to withhold evidence needed to prepare a defense.


The police later agreed the FA could release the evidence, and the FA said Monday the deadline would be extended by at least another week.


Grobbelaar denies the allegations, which were first made in the Sun newspaper. He is suing the paper for libel, and the FA is allowing him to continue playing for Southampton pending the outcome of the case.


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World soccer boss Joao Havelange suggested Strasbourg be added as a host city for the 1998 World Cup, irritating French organizers who have completed their selection of venues.


Havelange, president of FIFA, said after meeting organizers in Paris that Strasbourg had symbolic importance because it bordered Germany and was home to the European Parliament.


His comment, at a press briefing, annoyed French officials, who omitted Strasbourg from the final list of 10 cities to host matches in 1998.


"For us, the dossier is closed," said Francois Kosciusko-Morizet, the government liaison to the organizing committe. "If Strasbourg were added, we'd have to eliminate another city."


The cities chosen to host the 64 final-round matches are Bordeaux, Lens, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris, Saint-Etienne, Toulouse and Saint-Denis, site of the super-stadium being built to accommodate the opening and closing matches.


Havelange suggested the number of host cities could be increased to 12.


Strasbourg city officials had expressed doubts about their ability to raise the funds needed to convert the local stadium to World Cup standards.


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Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel's back injury will keep him out of action for another month to six weeks, the team said. Schmeichel, 31, tore muscles around his spinal discs in United's 3-0 home victory over Crystal Palace nine days ago, and will not play until he is fully recovered, team officials said Monday. Gary Walsh, who has played four games in Schmeichel's absence, will continue to start until the Dane returns. (AP, Reuters)