YORK City Knights could be without as many as 12 players for Sunday’s Betfred Championship play-off quarter-final tie at Halifax Panthers (5.30pm).

York were only able to name 19 players in their preliminary squad for last Sunday’s 74-12 win over Workington Town, which included 19-year-old trialist Ben Barnard from Heworth.

The Knights were without Jacob Ogden, Will Oakes, Jamie Ellis, Masi Matongo, Pauli Pauli, Ronan Dixon, Levi Edwards, Bailey Antrobus, Ata Hingano and Olly Butterworth last time out.

Starters Brendan O’Hagan and Brad Ward went on to pick up quad and shoulder injuries respectively which look set to rule them out of the trip to The Shay.

Ellis, Dixon and Antrobus are being assessed this week, although they have been deemed as having “outside chances” of featuring this weekend by head coach James Ford.

The York boss added that he was “optimistic” around potential inclusions for centres Edwards and Ogden who have “got a chance for Sunday.”

“I could probably fill this full interview up if I go through all of the injuries,” said Ford.

“I just want to focus on the 17 or 18 that we’ll have in the squad. We’ll go there and aim up at being the first York City Knights team to win a play-off game in the Championship.

“It won’t be the same 17 (as last week). But I’ve got confidence in them. There’s plenty of clarity about what we’re going there to achieve and how we can achieve it.”

The news that York may be missing around half a dozen players for their biggest match of the season is an undoubted source of frustration for Ford, who has rotated his side throughout the year in order to be placed as strongly as possible for the play-offs.

“I certainly don’t find it funny but I can see the irony because I’m probably the coach who has talked the most about trying to keep players fit for the play-offs and resting players,” he added.

“The irony that, when we get here, we’re missing eight to 10 players, that’s not lost on me. But it’s all about the 17 to 18 that we’ve got and it’s a real opportunity for them.”

Positionally, similarly to last season, Ford’s biggest selection headache comes at half-back, where Liam Harris is the only 100 per cent fit option.

O’Hagan picked up a grade one quad strain against Workington, Hingano is out for the season with an ankle problem and Ellis is also carrying a knock.

Asked what his options were in the halves should that trio be unavailable, Ford admitted: “I’m not sure yet, I genuinely don’t know.

“Tom Inman filled in there against Featherstone and did okay.

"Myles Harrison could come in at full-back and we could move Marshy (Matty Marsh) into the halves.

"And, Chris Clarkson played there a couple of times for us last season.”

On the absence of O'Hagan, who has played 19 times this year after an injury-plagued 2021, Ford said: "I know that there will be a couple of people rattled by that (injury).

“He’s done really well to play 20 games this season having not had a pre-season and coming back off quad surgery. That’s a fair achievement.

“I think he’s shown that he’s not injury-prone. He’s just picked up a minor injury at the back end of the season at the wrong time.”

Given the potentially makeshift nature of York’s line-up, Ford insists “there is only one way to play.”

“We’re going to go there and attack,” he said. “The pressure isn’t on us, is it?

“We finished sixth and we’ve made massive progress as a club to make the play-offs twice in three seasons.

“We’re happy with that and we want to continue that progress next year and beyond.

“We’re away at Halifax, who finished four points above us in the table and they finished there for a reason. There’s certainly no pressure on us.

“We’ll go there with plenty of confidence and no fear. We’ll and go there and attack.”