The Australia midfielder spent most of the week at City's Carrington training ground, eagerly awaiting completing of a $12.5million switch from Serie A outfit Palermo.

However, talks have ground to a halt over the way City will pay the fee.

While Palermo want all the cash up front, Blues chief executive Alistair Mackintosh, mindful of a $100million investment on eight players already, is keen to split the payments.

It is not a deal Palermo are keen on, so they ordered Bresciano back to Italy this morning.

The player has already made it known his heart is set on a move to Eastlands. And, while there is little hope of Bresciano being signed in time to face West Ham in the Premier League opener on Saturday, Eriksson is not giving up hope of eventually landing the 27-year-old.

"Of course it is frustrating," said Eriksson.

"But on the other hand, there have been so many deals here, it is difficult to get everything right straightaway.

"I think the problem is to do with the dates of payment.

"There has been a discussion about it for two days now but he had to go back this morning.

"Hopefully he will be back soon because we know he is a very good player."

Eriksson accepts that without Bresciano, his midfield may lack some bite at West Ham, which may prompt the former England coach to naming Rolando Bianchi as a lone striker at Upton Park.

In theory at least, his options have been boosted by confirmation that Bulgarian forward Valeri Bojinov and Croatian defender Vedran Corluka have both received work permits.

Although neither player met the strict criteria required to play in England, Eriksson made a personal appearance at the pair's appeal hearing in Sheffield this morning, a trip which proved successful.

However, while Bojinov could be on the bench against the Hammers, Corluka's hopes of playing appear to have been dashed after the 21-year-old was forced to fly home to Zagreb in order to get an official stamp on his passport.

It means the former Dinamo Zagreb player will miss City's final training session before they head to the capital, meaning Eriksson is unlikely to change the defence that started Saturday's friendly defeat to Valencia.

Eriksson still has plenty of work in front of him before he resumes a competitive club management career as, although England Under-21 international Joe Hart is fit again after dislocating a finger, the City manager remains on the hunt for an experienced keeper ahead of the weekend trip south.

Last season's first choice Andreas Isaksson will be out for at least six weeks with a hairline fracture of his thumb, leaving Eriksson in need of some experience.

"We are working on some solutions but we are not quite sure how it will work out yet," he said.

"At the moment we only have two goalkeepers, so we have to do something."

Apart from Isaksson, Eriksson's only confirmed injury absentee is striker Emile Mpenza, who is suffering from a hamstring strain.

However, other members of City's vast first-team squad already know they will not be involved, with Danny Mills, Paul Dickov and Ousmane Dabo among those told they can leave if suitable offers are received.

"I spoke to three of them and told them the situation," confirmed Eriksson.

"It is never fun to do things like that but I have to be honest with them and tell them I didn't think they would play much for City this season.

"It was better to do it now than at Christmas time."