The 25-year-old has not travelled with the rest of the squad to Hong Kong as Di Canio's men continue to prepare for the coming season.
While the club captain is likely to be fit by the time the squad return to Wearside, having suffered with a long-term knee injury, the Italian is unsure whether he will feature next season.
Asked about whether Cattermole had a future with the club, Di Canio told The Sunderland Echo: "We will see. It depends.
"He couldn’t come (to Hong Kong) because he was not fully fit – in the opinion of both myself and the fitness coach.
"He is training with the reserves and then when we get back to Sunderland, he will be ready."
One player who is almost certain to play a part in Di Canio's first full season in charge is striker Steven Fletcher.
Fletcher was the club's top scorer with 11 goals in the last campaign, before suffering an ankle ligament injury, but Di Canio is confident he is nearing recovery.
"He is improving, he has improved a lot,” added Di Canio.
"We can’t say how much longer it will take. But there is a big improvement and we know all about the problem.
"We are very happy with his progress and we are waiting for him."
