Roeder illness not my fault, says Italian

PAOLO di CANIO has hit back at claims his outbursts against Glenn Roeder were partly to blame for the pressures on the West Ham manager, now recovering from a minor stroke.

The Italian striker publicly criticised Roeder as the team slumped to the bottom of the Premiership, and as a result was frozen out by the Hammers boss, who is still in hospital. It was suggested di Canio's criticism increased the stress levels on Roeder. However, as he was welcomed back into the squad by caretaker-boss Trevor Brooking for today's home clash with Chelsea, di Canio refuted such claims.

"I want to set the record straight and stress that the people who say I cause trouble in the dressing room and create unrest among the players are stupid," di Canio said. "Just being at the bottom puts you under pressure but whenever I say something people like to blame me.

"I am the same person as when I first came to this club. During that time we have finished fifth and seventh and I didn't create problems in the dressing room when I spoke my mind then, yet now I am the problem. Whether I play one game or 38, people want to blame me.

"This season I have unfortunately spent a lot of time in a clinic in Italy - not on holiday but working for eight hours a day so how could I influence the team from there? If anything, look at the effect it has had on the club of me not being here. It is the opposite."

Di Canio added: "Unfortunately the team hasn't had a good season like last year and we are third from bottom. If I'm away it is my fault and if I'm here it's my fault, so I can't win. However, I'm able to separate football from life in general, which means I'm able to separate what I think about Glenn as a professional and as a man.

"I respect him as a human being and I mean it when I say I wish him and his family the best of luck. We should pray for him every day.

"When I've said things in the past I have been talking about football, which is his job. There is pressure every day, from the supporters and the media who when we lose say Roeder is not good for West Ham.

"There is pressure too in the dressing room from the young players, who when he says you have to play this way they say '**** off, Glenn'. That will put him under pressure, so I am not the only one, everybody has said something."

Di Canio has not figured in a West Ham squad since February and is desperate to play a part against Chelsea at Upton Park. He is not being offered a new deal when his contract expires at the end of the season and he said: "I am happy to be in the squad. It is a crucial game for us and I want to be involved in it, not just because I want to play football but because I want a chance to say thank you for everything to the supporters and I hope to say thank you to everybody with a victory.

"It is important for me to wear the West Ham shirt everybody knows what I feel when I wear this shirt, I am proud to wear it."

Di Canio is a likely substitute today but there are many injury doubts. Joe Cole (knee), Les Ferdinand (leg), Steve Lomas (ankle), Gary Breen (groin), Christian Dailly (back) and Don Hutchison (calf) all face late fitness tests, while Ian Pearce is suspended and both Michael Carrick (stomach) and Lee Bowyer (ankle) are ruled out.

Chelsea defender John Terry is out with a thigh strain but midfielders Emmanuel Petit and Jesper Gronkjaer are both fit after groin injuries which forced Petit to miss France's midweek win against Egypt and the Dane to be substituted during the draw with Fulham.