DARLINGTON will establish their own French foreign legion in the North-East by signing three players today.

Quakers yesterday held talks with the trio - a defender, striker and midfielder - and subject to international clearance, expect to complete the free-transfer signings later today.

All three have been playing regularly in French football, and will sign contracts until the end of the season.

Jean-Michel Cau, 20, has been playing for Second Division Gazelec Ajaccio, Alexander Jeannin 23, for Premier League club Estace Trois, and Abraham Keita, 25, for Choisy-la-Roi, a Third Division club.

Football director Luke Raine said: "All of them have been playing at a good standard in France.

"They can play in different positions, and therefore will be strengthening the squad."

Their arrival comes at just the right time, as Quakers are badly hit by injuries, and have now signed virtually a full team since the end of January including loan recruits keeper Peter Keen and Olivier Bernard.

Manager Gary Bennett will have a look at the his new trio in training and assess their fitness, before deciding whether to put them in the squad for the home game with Scunthorpe on Saturday.

Quakers now have a spell of two games per week until May, with a six pointer at Exeter coming up next Tuesday.

Bennett looked at a couple of French trialists at the start of the season, and one of them, Lenit Zezu, made a handful of appearances before going back to France.

It looks as though that will be the end of the signings. Raine said: "We don't expect to be signing anybody else before the transfer deadline on Thursday and we are not expecting anyone to leave either.''

l Brighton manager Micky Adams has been given a 14-day touchline ban after shouting abuse at the same referee twice within the space of a year.

Adams was charged with misconduct following ''aggressive and insulting behaviour'' towards referee Keith Hill in an LDV Vans Trophy match against Brentford in January, - his second misconduct charge within 12 months.