MOST of the York Rugby League Club players who went down with a 'flu bug last week have returned to training ahead of Sunday's Silk Cut Challenge Cup fourth round tie at Swinton.

But Lea Tichener, Lee Hanlan, Lyle George and Craig Booth were still suffering from the fever and missed Monday's and last night's sessions.

Wasps coach Dean Robinson said he was hopeful the four would return to training tomorrow night though.

He said the illness which swept through the York camp had put back their preparations for Sunday's crunch game by almost a week and a half.

"We had a light session on Monday and full training session last night and the players came through that with no problem. But I expect all players to be training tomorrow night and I'll select the starting 13 on Friday."

He added: "Certainly in the last quarter of the game on Sunday I expect our players to be performing on empty tanks but there is nothing we can do about that.

"We can now only prepare ourselves the best we can in this short time and I've told the players they are just going to have to put everything into it. That was the message I drilled into them last night."

Robinson believes York's underdog status against first division Swinton, who he watched beat title favourites Keighley 41-16 in their opening league match on Sunday, would go in their favour.

Said the coach: "The tables have turned really compared to the third round. We are now the underdogs with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"They will be expected to win the game and the pressure will be on them especially with them at home."

Robinson added: "I thought Swinton won very well on Sunday but Keighley were really a shadow of the team from last season.

"Obviously I don't want to give too much away regarding their weaknesses and strengths although there were some weaknesses there. We have just got to go out there and give a better account than Keighley did."

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