Playing for keeps

ITALIAN STYLE . . . Luca Scapuzzi (right) has made an excellent impact in his loan spell at Boundary Park

Dickov eyes happy returns for loan stars
ATHLETIC’S exploits in the FA Cup could help keep all the current loan players at the club beyond early next year.

As it stands, Nathan Clarke, Tom Adeyemi, Luca Scapuzzi and Andrea Mancini have deals which run out after Athletic’s visit to Chesterfield on Monday, January 2.

Manager Paul Dickov hopes that the quartet, along with Robbie Simpson, can come back to the club with the help of the cash gained from the third-round tie at Liverpool.

“It was important for lots of reasons we won the other night,” said Dickov, referring to the 1-0 home win over Southend which took the club to a third-round date at Anfield on Friday, January 6 (8pm kick-off).

“Hopefully with winning, it will enable us to keep all our loan players as that is something we are keen to do.”

Simpson is still training with Athletic despite his loan from Huddersfield having ended.

Dickov hinted that the striker will need to make financial arrangements with the club he is contracted to until the summer, before Athletic can make their move to bring him back in the January transfer window in 2012.

“We would like to keep Robbie playing for us, because he was fantastic,” Dickov said.

“He has got stuff to sort out with Huddersfield. Once that is done, we can sit down with Robbie and Huddersfield and hopefully get something sorted.

“It is a positive sign he wants to stay here and train with us.

“We still believe there is more to come from him. We are constantly on at him to get in the box more, but his link-up play and football intelligence is excellent.”

With Chris Taylor back to fitness and finding the net straight away against Southend, Athletic are unlikely to make any changes for the game at Charlton tomorrow.

Luca Scapuzzi may start in a supporting role to Shefki Kuqi with Taylor on the left, as was the case in the second half of the Southend triumph.

Either way, Athletic will set up with the intention of posing problems for the npower League One leaders.

“It is a hard one for us,” Dickov admitted. “They are five points clear at the top, but it we believe we can get something out of it.

“We have got a bit of momentum. Even with the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, the boys and I feel we should have got something out of it.

“So we will be in a confident mood.”




BRADLEY Diallo is set to make a reserves comeback next week, after missing two-and-a-half months of action with a torn hamstring.



Reuben Reid is another two weeks away, though, having suffered a setback in his recovery from a quad strain.