PAUL COOK appears set to stay at Sligo Rovers after the club said last night the Englishman’s talk with Accrington Stanley about the managerial vacancy there had “concluded unsuccessfully”.

The 44-year-old had appeared keen to move over the past week but Rovers had been reluctant to let him go and in a statement they said they now expect the manager back at the Showgrounds this weekend and that they are looking forward to getting on with their preparations for the new season.

Cook declined to comment on the situation last night.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed Thierry Henry will return to New York Red Bulls as planned at the end of his loan spell, meaning the former skipper will not be around for the visit of arch-rivals Tottenham.

“There is clarification, it will be February 16th, the day after Milan,” Wenger said.

“I would have loved him to stay two more weeks, but he has to go back. He is captain of Red Bulls. Just to appear on the first day of the season would be unfair to them. We accepted at the start that we would release him on February 16th, so we respect our word. Thierry as well thinks it would be too late.

“He has a fantastic impact on the squad, was happy to be here and all the players were happy to have him around.”

Sunderland defender Titus Bramble appeared in court yesterday to deny sexual assault charges. The 30-year-old is accused of indecently touching two women in separate incidents during a night out in Yarm, Teesside, on September 28th last year.

The prosecution said it was changing the indictment to add a fourth sexual assault charge which stems from the original two incidents. He denies all four charges.