Quakers take Italian goalkeeper on week's trial

The 24-year-old, a product of Inter Milan's youth system, where he spent seven years, is a free agent and arrived in England yesterday.

Locatelli is ineligible for tomorrow's reserve-team visit of Doncaster but will work with goalkeeping coach Mark Prudhoe.

"I don't know much about the lad but Pruds is going to have a good look at him and tell us what he thinks," said manager David Hodgson.

"We are quite well off on the goalkeeper front but there's no harm in taking a look at him. He's here for the week.

"He's from the same agency as Jason De Vos - so we haven't done bad from them in the past."

Locatelli is a close friend of Middlesbrough striker Massimo Maccarone after the pair met when the £8m forward was starting his career in Milan with AC.

Hodgson said: "He comes highly recommended and I've been told that he is one for the future."

Locatelli has spent the last three years playing in Serie C1, where he has won various Most Valuable Player awards.

The keeper is represented by agent Barry MacLean, who described him as "strong and physical".

Ryan Valentine and Barry Conlon will miss Saturday's trip to Cambridge after their appeals were rejected by an FA panel.

The pair were sent off for violent conduct in the 2-2 draw with Scunthorpe ten days ago - both for clashes with Scunthorpe defender Andy Butler.

Hodgson last night fired a parting shot at the FA's decision.

"It's a massive blow," he admitted.

"What disappoints me is that we sent the FA other angles of the incident but by the looks of it they haven't even bothered looking at them.

"But there's no point in crying over spilt milk and we've just got to get on with it."

The pair will serve three-match bans.

Darlington's players and staff will receive their wages tomorrow after over a month without pay.

They have not received payment since the end of October but Saturday's attendance against York City has created enough revenue to pay out the outstanding monies owed. Club burgled - page 9