York City were today left reeling by the news combative midfielder Richard Cooper is likely to be out of action for six weeks with a broken leg.

It has emerged Cooper cracked his fibula in the challenge that saw him stretchered from the pitch during Tuesday's 2-1 win over Hull.

In further blows for City boss Terry Dolan, striker Lee Nogan (calf) and Gary Hobson (hamstring), who were both substituted in the first-half on Tuesday, are expected to be out for between two and three weeks.

Dolan has confirmed he will now be looking to bring in a loan signing to help bolster his threadbare squad.

However, no fresh faces are expected to be added before Saturday's visit of Lincoln City to Bootham Crescent, when defender Chris Smith will also be missing through suspension.

Although Cooper's injury is worse than first feared it is not as bad a break as that suffered by team-mate Peter Duffield.

The fibula is the none weight-bearing bone and the gaping wound caused by the splitting of Cooper's shin pad is in any case expected to take as long to heal as the bone damage.

Dolan said: "Getting someone in on loan is something I will have to look at because we need more bodies.

"I don't want to be in the situation of having to bring three or four of the young players in."

The City boss will have Darren Edmondson and Lee Bullock available for Saturday after serving their suspensions.

On-loan Sunderland defender Mark Maley has returned to first-team training after shaking off a thigh injury.

Central defender John Fielding has also stepped up his training after a long-standing ankle problem.

However, both are at least "a couple of weeks" away from being ready to return to action.

A young York City reserve side featuring only two players from the senior squad were beaten 5-0 by Middlesbrough in a North Riding Senior Cup quarter-final at Billingham.

Boro, who had Mark Schwarzer keeping goal, were 2-0 up at half-time with City goalkeeper John Collinson saving a penalty.

Middlesbrough scored three more after the break with Brazilian Arturo Bernhardt, who also scored in last year's final between the two sides, slotting home the fifth.

Halifax Town skipper Paul Stoneman will be suspended for the six-point Division Three clash with City at the Shay on February 12.

Stoneman was sent off in Halifax's 1-1 draw with Southend on Tuesday. Former Scarborough defender Mark Jules is also expected to miss the match with a hamstring injury.

Updated: 11:50 Thursday, January 31, 2002