Glenn In The Dark

Glenn Roeder says that he wants Paolo Di Canio to remain at the club - and that he will know one way or the other by next Thursday.

"This must be the longest, most drawn-out transfer saga of all time," says Glenn, "and I can't honestly say I know whether he will be with us next week or not.

"Obviously next Thursday is a key date with it being the 31st of January and the Champions' League deadline day.

"It is a difficult one to call and we hope he will still be with us, but we'll just have to wait and see.

"To be honest, as a manager of a player of that talent you'd want him to stay and play for you. But I've maintained all along this is not an ordinary club that has come calling for his services - it is, after all, Manchester United, probably the biggest club in the world, and it would be difficult to stop any player going there.

"But I've been saying this for two or three weeks and I end up sounding like an old record.

"We all want the speculation to end one way or another and I include Paolo in that. It must be difficult for him because we keep talking about ourselves, the club, but sometimes people forget to mention the person who is the centre of attention. I just feel next Thursday is the critical day."

As regards Paolo's suspension, which the club are appealing against, the worst case scenario - the way things stand at the moment, and if the appeal is unsuccessful - is that he would miss games up to and including the trip to Aston Villa in early March after playing against Southampton and Blackburn.

He would miss an FA Cup fourth round replay , if there is one, and, if West Ham progress, the fifth round and any subsequent replay if it is needed, or the home game with Middlesbrough. Such a suspension, however, does not carry over from domestic to European competition.

As for speculation that he might miss the FA Cup match at Stamford Bridge, and would thus not be cup tied, Glenn says:

"He asked me for extra tickets, so he must be playing!"