WORCESTER Wolves have had their pre-season plans thrown into disarray with a double body blow.

The University College Worcester club have been rattled by the news recent signing Mark White has fractured an ankle, while at the same time learning forward James Sutton has opted to join rivals Worthing Thunder.

American shooting guard White sustained his injury during a training session in the US and Wolves may now have little option but to cancel his contract.

White faces a minimum of eight weeks on the sidelines but, combined with rehabilitation, is unlikely to be fully involved before December.

Wolves now have to decide whether to take a chance on the 23-year-old, knowing he would miss a fair chunk of the campaign, or look elsewhere. Director of basketball Mick Donovan said the club would wait for a doctor's report.

They will need make up their minds quickly with Wolves' first competitive fixture only a month away.

He said: "Our big decision is do we want to bring someone over 12 or 14 weeks into the season. On our budget we can't afford to sign an injured player and carry him for half a season.

"The league we are in, we can't carry a player. If it was a football club, you wouldn't sign an injured player.

"We have got quite a big decision to make as to whether we look elsewhere, but we have got to do it quickly because of the paperwork.

"We are not going to hang about, we have not got time. All our plans were in place but this has just thrown it all up."

The wheels are already in motion should Wolves have to turn their back on White, with club officials currently looking at another American as well as an unnamed Lithuanian.

Sutton's decision to ply his England Basketball League Division One trade on the south coast may have added to Wolves' misery. Donovan, however, is trying to cling to the positives, particularly given the dilemma could yield two new players.

He added: "At the end of this scenario we could come out stronger."