York City Knight Neil Thorman could be pitched headlong against his own club when Gateshead visit next week after no exclusion clause was put in his loan deal.

The 21-year-old hooker or half-back temporarily rejoined his former club for a month last week after failing to find a regular place in the Knights line-up.

And he could now go face-to-face with his York team-mates in the crucial National League 2 match at Huntington Stadium, a match that has already been touted as a potential banana-skin for the title-chasing Knights.

Knights head coach Mick Cook said: "He wasn't getting in our side and he needs to play. He's hardly played any games this year. He can earn money by playing the game so when Gateshead made the request it was definitely an option."

Thorman, the younger brother of York's current kicking king Paul, scored once for the Knights in a six and seven partnership with his brother against Elland in the Challenge Cup.

Back-to-back defeats in the Northern Rail Cup then cued a three-and-a-half month spell out of the team, barring York's 16-24 win at Gateshead in May, prompting the loan move.

Next week's match could therefore prove an ideal opportunity to show Cook what he's capable of and at a potential cost to his parent club.

Said Cook: "He will play against us if he is selected; there is nothing in place to stop him doing so.

"I'm not worried about that. I know some teams put in clauses but if he's gone there on loan to get games and you're just restricting him then what's the point?"

Cook is expecting to be able to pick from a near-full squad for the match on July 24, including long-term absentee Austin Buchanan.

The winger suffered a double fracture in his arm in the first match at Castleford in February but, despite a false start when light training stalled the healing process in April, he is now back in training with the Gateshead clash pencilled in for a possible return.

The bones in his arm have now healed but he will have to wear a tailor-made plastic cast on his arm while playing to protect the vulnerable area. Extensive padding will make it legal.

Prop forward David Bates lasted just six minutes of Sunday's match before limping off with calf trouble and the jury is still out on how bad the damage is.

But in better news, Neil Law, who was sidelined for the Swinton match due to an ankle knock, and Lee Jackson are both expected to be okay by next weekend.

Updated: 11:01 Thursday, July 14, 2005