Luckless Saints star Dan Petrescu is trying to recall whether he has broken a mirror - or perhaps he's seen a solitary magpie, one for sorrow.

If so, it will have been the only one he did see as yesterday's game against the Magpies of Newcastle was called off just two hours before kick-off.

It was the third weekend in a row the Romanian was robbed of a game by circumstances beyond his control.

First he had flu which kept him out at Tottenham, then he was cup-tied against Sheffield Wednesday - and yesterday's postponement has left him kicking his heels once more.

Now Petrescu is hoping nothing else goes wrong ahead of Saturday's clash at home to his old club Bradford. He said: "It is very disappointing for me, particularly because I need games for my fitness.

"I had not started a game for several weeks before the Leicester match, so the worst thing for me was to not play this match either.

"I need games - but what can I do? It is just bad luck that the weather has forced it off.

"We would have played on this pitch in Romania. It is like this all the time there!

"But, from the point of view of safety, it is better not to play. Players don't worry about that - they just go out and play.

"But the referee has to think of that when he makes his decision and it is a big responsibility.

"And it is better to call it off at the start than to try and play and then have to abandon it.

"He also has to think of the quality of the game. People are paying a lot of money to watch and they expect to see a decent match and one which is not dictated by the conditions.

"I don't think it would have been much of a spectacle. The pitch was not good and it was probably the right decision.

"It is just not good for me. I was ill at Bradford before I came here and then missed a couple of games for Southampton. And now this!

"I haven't had much luck but I'll be happy if my next full game goes the same way as my first with Southamp-ton - winning and me scoring the goal!"

That next game is against his old club Bradford, who look doomed to relegation.

But Petrescu is sure that Saints boss Glenn Hoddle will not allow his men to be over-confident.

He added: "I know he'll spend this week telling us this is a very dangerous game.

"Looking at the results before I came to the club, I saw that, although South-ampton beat Aston Villa, Leeds and Newcastle at The Dell, they lost at home to Manchester City, Middles-brough and Coventry.

"Everyone expects you to win these games - but they are very difficult and we will have to approach it right."

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