SWINDON boss Paolo Di Canio will welcome back the four players he dropped from Town’s defeat at Gillingham for Saturday’s title decider against Port Vale - but only if they apologise.

Wes Foderingham, Joe Devera, Luke Rooney and Lee Cox were left out of Di Canio’s squad after the Italian discovered their involvement in a night out following victory over Plymouth on April 14.

Five players, Alan McCormack, Jay McEveley, Alan Connell, Raffa De Vita and Simon Ferry, apologised to the club’s fans for their part in the incident earlier in the week, but Di Canio was not happy the four players did not also come forward.

The Town boss wants to put the whole incident behind him and his squad, but told the Advertiser he will only do so if they apologise for their actions.

“The reason I did not bring Wes, Joe Devera, Rooney and Cox is that I can not imagine that five lads come out public and say they did something wrong, but the other four tried to escape,” he said.

“How can they walk inside a dressing room and think five of their team mates went out, and they behaved normally and think the gaffer didn’t mention their names?

“For this I did not bring the four players to Gillingham, and they should feel in their heart that they should improve as a person, and if they do not go out and say they are sorry to everybody, I do not think they will have a part for the next two games.

“It is obvious they are going to come out and say sorry even if they do not feel it inside because now it is public, but everybody can make mistakes and they must not do it again.”

Di Canio believes the players have a duty to behave well and give the best for the club’s fans, and insisted they deserved to receive another apology.

“The players went out and did something wrong, but you can see from the Gillingham game that Jay McEveley played, Simon Ferry played, and Alan McCormack played, because it is important that you go out and say sorry, not just to me, but to the fans,” he said.

“They are paying their money and they have expectations.

“In the summer nobody can see you and you are far from Swindon, but right now you can not do this.”