EASTLEIGH are turning to Portuguese firepower to solve their striker shortage.

Ex-Saint Dani Rodrigues could make his debut in tomorrow's trip to Welling United and is joined at the Silverlake Stadium by another former St Mary's man Totti (real name Aristoles De Carvalho).

Having signed for Saints in 1999 from his native club CD Feirense, Rodrigues was dogged by injury, breaking his ankle while on loan at Bristol City and breaking it again in training while he was fighting back to fitness.

He went back on loan to Bristol and then had spells with Walsall, Greek side Ionikos, AFC Bournemouth and Yeovil (loan) before spending last season at New Zealand Knights.

Eastleigh player-boss David Hughes, who knows Rodrigues from his Saints day, said: "He's been training with Weymouth this season and is coming to us on a short-term deal. We've invited him here for two or three months to give us a chance to have a look".

Totti, most recently at Kettering Town, is signing for a month initially and will most likely get a couple of reserve team games before pressing for a first-team place.

"Stewart Henderson (Saints' reserve team coach) rang up and brokered the Totti situation and then Dos (Eastleigh's football manager Paul Doswell) rang him back and picked his brains about Dani Rodrigues," Hughes explained.

Full story: see today's Daily Echo.