Premiership: Di Canio future uncertain

Paolo di Canio will play for West Ham at Southampton tonight, still not knowing if it will be his final match for the club.

The Italian is waiting to learn whether or not his proposed £3m (€4.9m) move to Manchester United will go ahead.

But Hammers manager Glenn Roeder has heard nothing from the Old Trafford camp since he rejected their initial bid for his skipper, so he is continuing to include him in his team plans.

That means di Canio will lead at St Mary’s tonight, unless United boss Alex Ferguson pushes the deal through today.

Roeder said: ‘‘It’s not an ideal situation for anybody but at least it should be resolved within the next 24 hours, one way or the other.’’

United must sign di Canio by the end of tomorrow if they intend playing him in the next round of the Champions League, as that is when the registration for new players closes.

The signs this morning, however, were that Di Canio’s move would ultimately collapse - because United have reportedly failed to off-load Dwight Yorke first.

Yorke was set to move to Middlesbrough in a £6.25m (€10.2m) which would clear the way for di Canio to move in as his replacement.

But reports today suggest that Yorke has decided to stay at United and take his chances with the club’s new manager next season.

He will see out the final 18 months of his contract - then leave for nothing if he wishes. Boro’s interest in Yorke has cooled for two reasons.

First is his £57,000 (€93,200)-a-week wage demands, but second is the fact that Ferguson used him as a substitute in United’s 2-0 FA Cup fourth-round defeat at The Riverside Stadium at the weekend.

Yorke’s 11 minutes on the pitch meant he would be cup-tied and unable to play for Boro in the competition this season.

Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Yorke’s delay in moving to Middlesbrough has prevented the current Premiership leaders from landing West Ham winger Paulo di Canio.

"Dwight Yorke’s transfer is a snag," Ferguson said today.

"We would like to have signed Paulo di Canio, but that’s been derailed because of Dwight Yorke’s reluctance to move - or his agent’s reluctance for him to move, more like it."

Meanwhile, di Canio will begin a three-match ban after the Southampton game following his sending off in the 5-1 league defeat against Chelsea.

As a result, if he is still at Upton Park, he will miss the Premiership games against Blackburn and Bolton plus the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Chelsea.

West Ham are considering signing teenage defender Liam Rosenior from Bristol City. The 17-year-old is the son of former West Ham striker Leroy and has impressed the club while on trial.