YORK City have been rocked by the news striker Peter Duffield is out for the rest of the season.

It has emerged that Duffield suffered a tiny stress fracture of his right leg in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Luton Town. It is the same leg he has broken on two occasions in the last 18 months.

However, the latest hairline crack is not career-threatening with a defiant Duffield, who has been a major factor in City's revival of recent weeks, vowing to bounce back stronger than ever.

Manager Terry Dolan said: "Obviously, it is very disappointing for Peter because he had just got back into the team and the team was playing well.

"Fortunately, it is only a small crack and he should be ready for pre-season."

As City contemplate the loss of Duffield, the Evening Press understands their hopes of keeping hold of fellow striker Michael Proctor could receive a timely boost.

Luton Town manager Joe Kinnear has gone public on his desire to land Proctor and claims to have lodged a bid for the on-loan Sunderland striker with Black Cats' boss Peter Reid.

Kinnear reckons a deal is in the offing with just the price to be agreed for the 21-year-old,

However, sources close to the Stadium of Light today indicated the Black Cats may be willing to offer Proctor a year's extension to his current deal, which runs out at the end of this season.

Such an offer will likely appeal to Proctor, who is a Sunderland fan and will no doubt want one last crack at achieving his Premiership ambitions with his hometown club. That would lead to him seeing out his season-long loan deal with the Minstermen.

Dolan said he has heard nothing of Luton's interest but today revealed the names of those trainees who have been offered professional contracts for next season.

Writing in his Evening Press Terry's Team Talk column today, Dolan, who yesterday snapped up Middlesbrough midfielder Stephen Brackstone until the end of the season, revealed professional contracts have been offered to midfielder Leigh Wood and goalkeeper John Collinson.

The futures of Kieran Darlow, Scott Emmerson, Marc Salvati and Ben Rhodes, who have all played in the first team, have still to be decided but central defender Peter Vasey will not be offered a professional contract.

Wood celebrated his contract by grabbing an equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Stockport County for City reserves last night.

It was a pleasing result for City's second-string, who travelled to Edgeley Park with only 14 players, including new signing Brackstone and Marc Thompson, who has been told his contract will not be renewed at the end of the season.

However, the result leaves York anchored to the bottom of the Avon Insurance League division one table and in fear of relegation to the bottom division.

Updated: 11:43 Thursday, February 28, 2002