Fabricio Coloccini expected to play against Norwich but long-term Newcastle United future still in doubt

Fabricio Coloccini has become a favourite with the Newcastle fans after a slow start to his career (Getty Images)

Fabricio Coloccini has travelled with the Newcastle United squad for today's game at Norwich and is expected to play despite his future with the club having been plunged into uncertainty.

As The Independent revealed yesterday, the captain Coloccini stunned Newcastle by demanding to leave the club this month and return to Argentina for family reasons. More talks are planned for early next week, as the club try to convince the 30-year-old to stay. However, the centre-half seems set on moving.

Matias Lammens, the president of Argentinian club San Lorenzo, said yesterday he had a contract ready for Coloccini to sign, but that time was running out for the player to agree a deal. "When you go for a class A defender, the timings are a bit different, but if in the next week we don't have a response then we will have to go for another option," Lammens said.

The president added that San Lorenzo were unable to afford a transfer fee for the defender, and would need him to annul his current contract with Newcastle.

"We can offer him a very good contract in the case of him rescinding [his Newcastle deal], but San Lorenzo have nothing left to do with regards to the negotiating."

Coloccini cost Newcastle £10.3m when they signed him from Deportivo La Coruña during the summer of 2008 and he signed a four-year contract extension in March last year.