Football: Di Canio ready to play

Uefa Cup Second round second leg: WEST HAM

PAOLO DI CANIO is ready to put the pain of an ankle injury to the back on his mind in an attempt to keep West Ham's European dreams alive.

The injury has kept the Italian out of West Ham's last two games against Liverpool and Leeds, but he trained yesterday ahead of the Hammers' Uefa Cup second round, second leg tie with Steaua Bucharest and told the manager, Harry Redknapp, that he was prepared to do whatever is necessary to play. "Paolo came in yesterday and said he was ready to have a pain-killing injection in his ankle if necessary. I've never seen anyone like him, he's desperate to play," Redknapp said.

West Ham certainly need the flamboyant striker's abilities to come back from 2-0 down from the first game in Romania.

The home side have scored just once in their last five games and have not won in the league since 3 October. Yet Redknapp remains confident his side can score the three goals necessary to get past Steaua and is backing Paulo Wanchope to end his goal drought.

The Costa Rican international has not scored since the middle of September but Redknapp believes it is just a matter of time before he finds the net again.