YORK City boss Terry Dolan is keeping his fingers crossed that a mystery virus is not about to sweep through his injury-ravaged squad.

Dolan already has six senior players on the injured list and his preparations for Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Brighton were hampered by the sudden withdrawal of Graham Potter.

The left-sided midfielder was forced to pull-out from the squad just 24 hours before kick-off after feeling unwell while Dolan revealed Steve Agnew was substituted in the second-half on Saturday suffering from similar symptoms.

"I think the majority of the players looked very sluggish for probably the first time this season," he said.

"That could be due to several things and maybe there is a virus and some of the players are not 100 per cent but won't say so.

"When you are not winning games it can have that effect."

Meanwhile, the City chief was left ruing City's continued lack of a cutting edge in front of goal and vowed to keep up the search for fresh firepower.

City's failure to find the net means they have score just seven times in the League this season, the poorest return in Division Three.

"If we had taken our chances we might not have lost the game," he said.

"We are in a situation now where because we are not scoring many every time we miss a chance it becomes vital.

"For all Brighton's good run - and I admit we have not played anywhere as well as we can - we could have got something out of the game.

"It is a lack of conviction in the right areas. As I have said all along, we need to retain possession better in the forward areas otherwise you don't get a breather.

"The search for another striker has been going on all season and I was looking for another striker even with Peter Duffield.

"We were on the right lines with Peter and David McNiven but it is difficult to cope when you lose someone like Peter with a broken leg.

"David has just joined the club and I am pleased with how he has settled in but the next people I bring in have got to be the right type.

"We are looking but first of all people have got to be available and everybody we have spoken too is looking for strikers at the moment."

To add to City's problems, Darren Edmondson will receive an automatic ban following his dismissal for foul and abusive language on Saturday.