YORK City defender David McGurk has suffered another setback in his latest comeback from injury.

McGurk has been sidelined since January’s 0-0 home draw with Aldershot due to hamstring trouble.

But, having recovered from that injury, the 30-year-old centre-back has picked up a calf problem that rules him out of tomorrow’s Bootham Crescent derby clash with Bradford City.

A combination of knee, calf and throat problems led to a struggle to get back into the team and almost a year of first-team inactivity for the long-serving McGurk prior to his recall for December’s 0-0 draw at Fleetwood.

That was the first of five appearances for the ex-Darlington defender, in which City kept three clean sheets, before injury curtailed his progress once more.

But fellow centre-back Chris Doig, who has been out with ankle trouble for two months, could return to the bench against Bradford.

On the latest news from the treatment room, City boss Gary Mills said: “Chris Doig trained yesterday so he will be available.

“David McGurk is injured and has got a calf problem now after his hamstring injury, so it’s not happening for him at the moment.”

Ahead of the visit of beaten Capital One Cup finalists Bradford, Mills has also issued a plea to Minstermen supporters to help to make Bootham Crescent a “fortress” between now and the end of the season.

Mills’ team have only won three of their last 17 home fixtures and, after tomorrow’s match, will entertain Rochdale, Port Vale, Plymouth, Accrington and Southend before finishing the campaign with a trip to Dagenham & Redbridge.

And the City boss is counting on home fans to match the noise levels generated by away supporters during the club’s last two games at Oxford and Rotherham.

He said: “It’s not been happening for us at home, but we’ve got to make Bootham Crescent a fortress now for the last six home games, starting with Bradford.

“That’s important because you can only really be successful if you do well at home and everybody has a part to play in that.

“The vocal support has been incredible in our last two games at Oxford and Rotherham and it’s got to be the same at home.

“If we don’t start the game particularly well, the crowd have got to stick with us when they are needed.

“It’s a derby and there will be a big crowd. Our fans out-sang the Rotherham supporters on Tuesday and I want them to be loud and proud of York City again tomorrow.”

Despite Bradford receiving worldwide plaudits since the turn of the year for reaching the Capital One Cup final, Mills has also pointed out that the Bantams’ form during that time has not been much different to that of his own players, who have now gone ten games without a win.

The City boss reasoned: “Generally, our performance levels over the last dozen games, starting with Fleetwood away when we were excellent, have been good, aside from the Wycombe away game.

“We just need to keep plugging away and performing how we can.

“If you look at Bradford, they’ve lost eight of their last 12 games. They’ve won two, though, while we’ve drawn seven.

“They’ve done incredibly well to get to the Capital One Cup final and they’ve proven that can be done, but they will want to get back on track in the League now and pick up points.”

Added Mills: “We’ve got ten points from our last 12 games and they’ve got 13 so, if we beat them, we will be doing just as well as Bradford, even though everybody is saying how poorly we are doing.

“Maybe how well they have done in the cup has overshadowed the League form that they might be more disappointed with otherwise.”