The Rumour Mill: Tuesday's football news and gossip IN TODAY'S Rumour Mill: Annan pitch blamed for Templeton injury; Sandaza says SFL3 matches are more like war than football; Fletcher told to contact Levein over Scotland future plus the rest of the day's football news and gossip. Annan's plastic pitch to blame for Templeton injury, say Rangers ALLY McCoist has slammed Annan's 3G astroturf pitch after David Templeton was ruled out for at least a month after damaging his ankle ligaments in the Ibrox club's 0-0 draw at Galabank on Saturday. Templeton, an £800,000-deadline day signing from Hearts collapsed on the pitch around ten minutes into the clash, with no other player near him. Annan secretary Alan Irving rejected McCoist's claims, pointing out that the 3G surface is used in Champions League matches, and that the Galabank pitch is "state-of-the-art." Templeton was revealed to have damaged ligaments in his ankle, with McCoist commenting: "I have no idea what timescale we are looking at. Their player was nowhere near him; he just got his studs caught in the surface. Our doctor did say the pitch definitely played a part in [the injury] but I don't know how much. Francisco Sandaza: Division Three matches "more like a war" Rangers striker Francisco Sandaza has commented on the rough-and-tumble aggression of Division Three, comparing the matches to war rather than football. "I was on the pitch thinking "Bloody hell." It wasn't football the way it is at Ibrox or SPL games. The former St Johnstone striker pointed out that there is some level of expectation on the Ibrox side to win every game 4-0 or 5-0 but "the teams are playing the game of their lives and are very aggressive." The Spaniard is also aware that, along with fellow new signings Dean Shiels and Ian Black, he is under more scrutiny at the Ibrox club, but is confident that results will soon start to go their way. Steven Fletcher urged to make peace with Craig Levein as O'Neill hints at helping hand £12-million striker Steven Fletcher has been urged to contact Craig Levein over his indefinite ommission from the Scotland squad. Fletcher, who recently signed for Sunderland, asked not to be involved in a friendly match some months ago, sparking a war of words with Levein who refused to include him in any Scotland squads. Former Hearts and Scotland midfielder Paul Hartley said yesterday that the former Hibs striker should phone Craig Levein and end his self-imposed exile. Meanwhile, Fletcher's club manager Martin O'Neill believes he could play a role in engineering the forward's return to the Scotland set-up. The player's agent has also claimed that the SFA suggested a clear-the-air meeting last October but failed to follow it up. In brief Inverness will not appeal the red card handed out to Owain Tudur-Jones during their match with Aberdeen. The Welshman misses matches against Hibs and Stenhousemuir. Aberdeen meanwhile are set to learn Russell Anderson's fate on Thursday after appealing the defender's red card during the same match. Dons manager Craig Brown has slammed Inverness counterpart Terry Butcher over his comments following the 1-1 draw between the sides, saying the Englishman should have been thanking referee George Salmond rather than berating him. Scottish referee Willie Collum will take charge of AC Milan's opening Champions League clash with Anderlecht. Motherwell boss Stuart McCall is worried he could lose his entire team for nothing at the end of the season. Players such as Darren Randolph, Chris Humphrey, Jamie Murphy and Shaun Hutchinson could all leave the Fir Park side. New Hibs signing Tom Taiwo has hit back at his former boss at Carlisle, claiming: "Everything about this move seemed right and I'm looking forward to putting everything I can into making [Hibs] successful." Taiwo's Brunton Park manager Greg Abbott blasted the former Chelsea midfielder, stating that it was a "crime" that Taiwo wasn't playing his football at Brunton Park. Leigh Griffiths has been credited with Hibs" first goal against Kilmarnock in the Easter Road side's 2-1 win. A corner from the on-loan Wolves star was flapped at by Killie keeper Kyle Letheren, and ended up in the net via defender Rory McKeown.