Blackburn Rovers boss Brian Kidd is not expected to make Italian midfielder Dario Marcolin a permanent signing at the end of the season.

Former boss Roy Hodgson paid Lazio £100,000 to take Marcolin on extended loan until the end of the season with an agreement to pay a further £900,000 in summer if Rovers wanted to make the deal permanent.

Rovers will not comment on Marcolin's future, stating that his position will be reviewed at the end of their battle against relegation.

But I understand that the player, who has played a useful role during the midfield injury crisis, will return to Lazio in May.

Marcolin, 27, had been unable to claim a regular place in the Lazio side this season, following their record-breaking summer spending spree which included signing Ivan de la Pena from Barcelona.

Born in Brescia, he began his career with Cremonese where he played between 1989 and 1992.

He moved to Lazio and, while with the Rome club, he has also had spells at Cagliari and Genoa.

Last season, Marcolin scored four goals for Lazio from midfield, and he has notched one for Rovers at Manchester United in his 11 appearances, five as a substitute.

Marcolin was keen to make the move permanent.

"Brian Kidd knows that I'm happy to play for Blackburn and I feel I can help the team.

"I have a contract until May and I don't know if the manager or the club want me to stay for one or two seasons after that. "I'm very happy playing for Blackburn and I like the stadium and the people. I would be very happy if the manager wants me to stay," he said recently.

"Relegation does not bother me. That's no problem, and if the club want me I will stay here and play whether it is in the Premier League or the Football League.

"Of course I would prefer to play in the Premier League and I think Blackburn will stay in the Premier League because it is a good club with good players," he added. Keith Gillespie could be out of Northern Ireland's Euro 2000 qualifier against Germany tomorrow after missing training yesterday with a hamstring injury.

The Rovers winger felt his muscle before the start of the session and manager Lawrie McMenemy claimed they were now waiting to see if he would be fit for the Windsor Park clash. "In our warm-up this morning he felt his hamstring a bit tight so he didn't train and it's now a case of wait and see," said McMenemy.

Rovers keeper Anthony Williams' loan move to Bristol Rovers was the only deadline day activity at Ewood Park yesterday.

Tickets for the game at Southampton on April 17 go on sale to season ticket holders from Monday, March 29, £20 upper tier, £18 lower tier, no reductions. Any remaining tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 6. It is an all-ticket game.

Paul Dalglish, son of former Ewood boss Kenny Dalglish and an ex-Blackburn Rovers player, has joined Norwich on loan from Newcastle for the rest of the season.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.