PAOLO Di Canio is set to start trimming his squad this week but suggested Simon Ferry may not necessarily be one of those leaving, despite the midfielder featuring little in pre-season.

Ferry confirmed his intention to stay with the Robins following their relegation from League One and it was expected that the Scot would play a more prominent role after being frozen out of the side for much of last season.

But centre midfield is a position Di Canio has strengthened considerably over the summer, bringing in Oliver Risser, Jonathan Smith and Alan McCormack.

All three appear to be ahead of Ferry in the pecking order after the former Celtic trainee was given the least amount of time on the pitch in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Reading at the County Ground.

But Di Canio insists that Ferry will have a role to play, if he expresses a desire to remain at the club.

“He is a popular player and he is a player in our squad,” Di Canio told the Advertiser.

“He has some qualities that others do not have but also he does not have qualities that other people have.

“On a pitch like ours in a tough game against a side like Reading we need players who have the strength and power to cover play, we cannot stretch the whole squad too much and leave space in the middle.

“When he came on he did some good things although it was late on and some players around him were tired.

“I will use him when I feel I need to use him and I hope he will be ready, because even if a player is unhappy that they are not in the starting 11, I still want them to give their best if they come on for the final 10 or 15 minutes of a game.

“Sometimes he will start, like the others, game by game I will decide.”

Di Canio confirmed that there are likely to be some outgoings this week as he looks to prune his squad to a more manageable number, and suggested those who do not show a desire to fight for their place will be among those leaving.

“If they do not show great spirit or desire for even a short amount of time on pitch when they do play, I will not select them even for a place on the bench,” he continued.

“I prefer to bring a young player who gives everything. We don’t have Maradona here, or Messi or Xavi or Iniesta.The players we have are very good for this level and they have to accept that if they are on the bench that they may only play five or 10 minutes.

“If they are not happy straight away then this week I will be tough and tell them to go away and play for another club who will give them the chance to play.

“This is not a message for Simon, this is for any player who is unhappy about being on the bench.

“I want to see my players fit, happy and give their best in every game. We need a good mixture and I will decide game by game who plays in the middle.

“There were three players who did not even make the bench and were in the stands. So Simon was a part of the team and had a chance to play, he did his best and we will see.”

Smith and Risser look set to win the battle to take the two centre midfield spots against Crewe on Saturday, although Di Canio suggested there is still plenty of time for that to change.

“At the moment I choose Jonathan Smith and Oliver Risser, but this could change by next Saturday as anything can happen,” he said.