JOE Royle has made contingency plans to bring someone else in if Jamaican Ricardo Fuller is told today he does not meet the requirements of Work Permits UK at their hearing in Sheffield - but is still not totally decided on what to do.

JOE Royle has made contingency plans to bring someone else in if Jamaican Ricardo Fuller is told today he does not meet the requirements of Work Permits UK at their hearing in Sheffield - but is still not totally

decided on what to do.

The Blues are confident that their appeal will be favourably heard, although there is no guarantee.

The club's argument could focus on Fuller's previous record in the UK with clubs such as Preston, Hearts, Portsmouth and Southampton.

The panel will hear how well he did at all those clubs and how he was twice left in the lurch by Harry Redknapp, who originally bought him from Preston.

Redknapp took Fuller from Pompey to Southampton when he switched clubs and wanted to take him back to Fratton Park, before a massive investment by new co-owner Alexandre Gaydamak meant he could bring in players from the higher end of the market.

Royle said: “It is a big day for us and I have made contingency plans. We have a striker or two that we can turn to if the appeal does not go in our favour, but I also have to look at other factors.”