York City manager Terry Dolan has turned to youth after seeing his already injury-hit squad whittled down to the bare bones.

With Wayne Hall, Alex Mathie and Darren Patterson all now sidelined Dolan has drafted in youngsters Leigh Wood and Scott Emmerson into the squad to face Blackpool tomorrow.

Midfielder Wood was on the bench last week in the 3-1 defeat to Macclesfield but it will be striker Emmerson's first real sniff of the first team.

He was named in the senior squad to face Darlington in the LDV Vans Trophy but that game was postponed.

Emmerson, 18, who hails from Durham, has recently broken through into the City reserves team and scored a hat-trick in the second-string's 5-1 triumph over the Quakers in December.

Hall's injury, suffered at the hands of former City team-mate Alan Pouton during the reserves 2-0 defeat to Grimsby on Wednesday, is not as serious as first feared.

An X-ray has revealed severe bruising but no break, but having had stitches put in a puncture wound on the top of his foot the defender is expected to be out for at least two weeks.

Patterson was ruled out of the 1-0 defeat at home to Chesterfield in midweek with an Achilles injury and is not expected to play tomorrow.

However, Dolan is hopeful by leaving the central defender out of the clash at Bloomfield Road he will be fit enough to face Carlisle on Tuesday night at Bootham Crescent.

Striker Mathie limped from Tuesday's action after just 12 minutes but the problem now appears to be a hip one rather than a hamstring strain.

The Scotsman is also expected to be out for two to three weeks and will join Hall, Patterson, Kevin Hulme, Christian Fox, Peter Duffield, Chris Fairclough and Darren Edmondson on the injured list.

Gary Hobson and Lee Bullock stepped up their fitness by training with the first team this week but are still some way short of being considered for selection.

"The team will more or less pick itself," admitted Dolan. "But it is a chance for the two youngsters."

Despite City's bad run with injuries and the fact they have now lost five games on the bounce, Dolan insists the Minstermen will head to Blackpool in good spirits following Tuesday night's showing against Chesterfield.

Updated: 09:17 Friday, January 26, 2001