COACH Mick Cook may have an injury crisis looming ahead of York City Knights' banana skin Powergen Challenge Cup tie against the amateurs from Elland.

There was good news surrounding utility player Jonny Liddell, whose injury is not now believed to be as serious as first feared.

However, Cook may be without a single specialist centre on Sunday after Neil Law and Darren Callaghan joined Dan Potter and long-term injury victim Chris Spurr on the treatment table. Law injured a foot in Sunday's draw with Featherstone Rovers while Callaghan has a chest infection.

Captain Chris Levy is also unlikely to play this Sunday after needing stitches in a leg wound suffered against Fev, though at least Cook has ample cover at scrum-half.

Cook described the mystery gash as looking "like a dog had bitten him", though the scrum-half has no idea how he suffered it.

Cook said: "I would be very surprised if he plays on Sunday. The cut was on the inside of his calf, about three inches long, and he had several stitches in it. That kind of cut can be difficult to heal so we will probably leave him out as a precaution."

Veteran second-rower Mick Ramsden is unlikely to return from his ankle problem but, in better news, prop Craig Forsyth has declared himself fit after his sternum and calf injuries and can come in for Doncaster loanee Tom Buckenham, who is not allowed to be cup-tied, while the dead leg suffered by utility back Chris Ross on Sunday should not rule him out this week.

Cook said: "Mick is still having a few problems with it and he has not been training on it yet, but Craig will be back in contention for a place in the squad."

Liddell's injury, meanwhile, has turned out to be an ankle problem rather than knee ligament as first stated, but it is not now feared to be too serious, with the York youngster given a 70-30 chance of being fit this weekend.

Updated: 09:40 Thursday, March 10, 2005