DREADNOUGHT defender Steve Davis is poised to end five months of miserable exile.

The yeoman centre-back - recruited in the summer to stiffen York City's defence - has been marooned since mid-September with a serious hip injury.

But a first-team return is on the horizon with Davis tentatively pencilled in to make his senior return for the Minstermen on their next Conference away-day outing - the trip to fellow relegation-haunted Forest Green Rovers on February 12.

The long-awaited comeback was ushered into possibility by City's caretaker-manager who said the 36-year-old sentinel, whose experience had been badly missed, needed another reserve team outing to confirm his match fitness.

That should be next week and if Davis continues his recovery battle unscathed then he will be earmarked for a senior outing against third from bottom Rovers, who are six points and one game more adrift of the Minstermen.

Said Busby: "Steve is progressing very well. He's had a full 90 minutes reserve action last week and earlier this week he played in a full-scale practice match at the training ground. That was for 75 minutes on a very heavy ground.

"I'd say he probably needs another reserve outing and if he comes through that then he could be pencilled in for the week after."

A Davis return would be more than timely as City face four games in the last two weeks of this month starting with the trip to Forest Green.

City's two other long-term casualties - midfielder Gary Pearson and former player-manager Chris Brass - are soon to enter hospital.

Pearson's operation on a troublesome shoulder injury that has kept him out of action since the November 6 home loss to Forest Green Rovers is planned for next week. Brass, meanwhile, who suffered a season-ending cruciate knee ligament injury in the last game of 2004 at home to Burton Albion, is expected to undergo surgery the week after next.

Brass is currently in a leg brace that allows him to keep working on muscle development so as not to slow his rehabilitation from the nasty injury.

Busby, meanwhile, confirmed that there has still been no confirmation of any further Yeovil interest in striker-cum-midfield prospect Lev Yalcin.

The Turkish Under-20 international spent a week on loan with the Coca-Cola One team last month, but news outlining Yeovil's intentions has so far not materialised.

Sophie's voice

City's communications director Soiphie McGill will be appearing on Radio 5 show 'The Football Think Tank' tonight (Thursday).

Starting at 8pm, the new show is to broadcast monthly, discussing various football-related issues.

McGill's fellow panellists will be former Scotland and Everton winger Pat Nevin, journalist David Conn - author of football expos book 'The Beautiful Game' - and David Burns, the ex-chief executive of the Football League.

Updated: 10:45 Thursday, February 03, 2005