Christian Dailly has returned to West Ham as Southampton cannot afford to keep the on-loan Scotland defender for a further month.Saints are in desperate need of investment to avoid having to sell players in January and despite their injury crisis in defence, 34-year-old Dailly has returned to Upton Park following the end of his second month on loan.

"The player is going back - we can't afford to keep him," manager George Burley told Saints' official website.

"We just move on and adjust accordingly. It's a financial thing so we won't be getting anyone to replace him.

"I can't influence financial things but I have had full backing from the board and that is all I can ask."

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