INJURY-HIT York City could be down to as few as nine full-time professionals for Saturday's FA Cup fourth round qualifying epic at Carlisle United.

Paul Robinson and Gary Pearson are the latest names to be added to the ever-growing injury list and are both doubtful for the weekend after incurring a hamstring and shoulder injury, respectively.

With Steve Davis, Lee Nogan, Kevin Donovan and Graeme Law already battling with problems and the recent departures of David McGurk and Chris Clarke, responsibility looks set to fall on City's emerging youth ranks with less than ten full-timers fit.

Player-manager Chris Brass said: "I have counted them up and at the moment we have only got nine fit professionals which is worrying.

"When you look at what they are, they are all just unfortunate. Gary's was accidental, as was Lee's and Paul Robinson's hamstring is the sort of injury that you get at this time of year because the ground has started changing with the weather.

"Hopefully we will be okay for the weekend. Graeme Law (hamstring) is coming through soon but while you don't want to rush him back, we need him."

FA Cup registration rules have scuppered any hopes of taking a player on loan.

He said: "It will be a case of whether or not I can ask a few more favours off people. But it's not just ourselves having problems - other clubs are carrying smaller squads as well and as soon as there's one injury it can really impact on your squad.

"It is frustrating because it stops you doing what you want to do in training because you're having to wrap people up in cotton wool.

"The problem is we just don't know what we are walking into every morning. Last week we had three or four out with a bug and four more said they had similar symptoms.

"The last few games, we have basically not known what the side is until Friday morning."

Shaun Smith and Levent Yalcin were looking to make a big impression in today's York City reserve encounter at Darlington.

The pair were the two main senior players in a squad of trainees with goalkeeper Chris Porter at the Williamson Motors Stadium hoping to impress watching manager Chris Brass with a first win of this year's reserve campaign.

David McGurk, who was hailed as Brass' best ever loan signing during his recent spell at Bootham Crescent, was set to line up against them.

York City: Porter, Staley, Hollingsworth, Anderson, Baynes, Arthur, Webster, Ashcroft, Smith, Yalcin, Haw. Subs: Reid, Foote, Lyons.

Updated: 10:25 Wednesday, October 27, 2004