SWINDON manager Paolo Di Canio will be given as long as he needs to come to terms with the death of his mother, but interim chairman Jeremy Wray is convinced he will take his place in the dugout for tomorrow’s visit to Aldershot.

Di Canio returned to Italy on Wednesday to be by his mother’s side before coming back to Swindon to take training on Thursday, but found out late on Friday night that she had passed away.

The consummate professional took charge of Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Plymouth which all-but secured promotion to League One, but left the County Ground immediately after the game to return to Italy to be with his family.

Wray is unsure of when Di Canio will return to work, but is in no doubt he will be on the touchline for a game in which Town only need a point to mathematically secure promotion.

“I have told him to take as long as he wants but I would bet my last pound he is back for the Aldershot game,” he said. “I have no idea of his plans from now, but I feel sure he will be at the Aldershot game and the fans who travel will get the chance to see him then.

“Sadly he got the news on Friday night and we obviously said to him that he had to do what he had to do. But he wanted to see the Plymouth game through, although we all knew the emotion was going to get to him at the end of the game, and he quietly slipped away to get back to his family in Italy.”

Di Canio has faced a tough season off the pitch having lost his father in the lead-up to Town’s visit to Plymouth earlier in the season, but Wray praised the way the Italian has handled himself during testing times.

“To lose both your parents in such a short space of time is tough for anyone, and people need to realise what he has been going through and at the same time doing what he has done with the team,” he said.

“He wears his heart on his sleeve and has really taken this club to heart. He has become the spirit of this club, and it is a family club where family come first and he has put everything into this.

“To achieve what he has achieved in his first year of management against the background of losing both your parents means he deserves our support and love, and I know the fans will share in that.

“What I would say to the fans is that we should make the last home game against Port Vale the chance to show our appreciation for him.”