Fabio Borini signs short-term deal with Salford City until January

Fabio Borini has returned to English football after agreeing a short-term contract with League Two club Salford City until January. The 34-year-old, who left Italian side Sampdoria over the summer, had been training with Salford’s first team for about a month and is joining primarily to provide cover for forward Jay Bird, who is expected to be sidelined for an extended period because of injury, the club said.

Salford announced the signing on Friday, saying Borini has been using the club’s facilities to build fitness and is available for selection once the necessary registrations are completed. The club said he will wear the number 16 shirt and that, following FA, EFL and international clearance, he is eligible for selection. Managers at Salford brought him in after he impressed during training sessions overseen by manager Karl Robinson and assistant Alex Bruce.

Borini said via the club’s website that he was drawn to the project at Salford and welcomed the opportunity to play again in England. "Experience is one thing that I can bring, but it’s not just about the experience that I have on the pitch, it’s outside of the pitch so leading by example in training, outside training,...