Veteran defender Chris Fairclough's long awaited return to first-team training has been delayed yet again.

After a season spent on the sidelines, it had been hoped the one-time City skipper would return to full-training next week but City manager Terry Dolan has revealed the 36-year-old has suffered another frustrating setback.

"He had been stepping up his training but has now had a recurrence of his calf injury," said the City boss.

"As to when it will mean he is ready I just do not know, but it just appears every so often on his recovery he has a set-back and whether that is Chris's body telling him something I do not know. We will have to wait and see."

After undergoing surgery on his knees in the summer, Fairclough made one reserve team appearance before he was beset by calf and hamstring troubles.

His current City contract runs out at the end of this season but Fairclough, who has made just three starting appearances since Dolan's arrival almost a year ago, has always insisted he has at least two years left playing.

City's other injured central defender, Gary Hobson, is still ready to step up his training next week by joining in with the rest of the squad.

Lee Bullock's recovery from a knee injury is said to be coming along "gradually" while defender Darren Edmondson is now able to run following a knee problem but has still to test it in the tackle.

The size of the City squad will certainly be tested over the coming weeks, starting next week when the reserves will be in action twice.

They play at Stoke City in an Avon Insurance League match on Monday, kick-off 2pm, before entertaining Dolan's former team, Huddersfield Town, in the Avon Insurance League Cup at Bootham Crescent on Wednesday, kick-off 7pm.

In between those dates on the Tuesday, City's intermediates tackle Wolves in their FA Youth Cup fourth round tie at Molineux, kick-off 7pm.

the City juniors face another important game tomorrow when they travel to take on North Yorkshire rivals Scarborough in the North East Conference Youth Alliance League.

The match promises to be a six-pointer. The City youngsters currently lie in fourth place in the Alliance while the young Seasiders are second having played two games more.

Updated: 09:38 Friday, January 12, 2001