JOINT-boss Lee Hughes insists Worcester City will not paper over injury-related cracks by altering the club's recruitment policy.

Hughes, currently sidelined himself, vowed to only pursue options that would benefit City in the long term despite the withdrawal of Brad Birch and Jamie Smith from Tuesday's 5-1 thumping of Coventry Sphinx.

On Saturday, fellow manager John Snape hinted the search for new blood could be stepped up in the wake of a growing list of casualties but Hughes was adamant Worcester would avoid rushing things.

“Jamie will be assessed in the coming days but you never know with these little niggles," said Hughes. "Hopefully he will be back for Saturday but we’ll find out soon.

“Brad will be touch and go for Saturday but until these knocks settle down over a day or two, you never really know. I hope to be back for the Shawbury game as well, we’ll just have to see how it goes.

“We are always on the lookout but we’re not going to bring in lads unless they’re better than what we have. We are fairly happy with the squad but we would like to make one or two additions, especially at full-back.

“We have suffered and been unlucky with a few injuries here and there. It is a squad game, though, there are that many games coming up and we can trust the players to perform."

Birch, who has been confirmed as the club's new permanent captain, received a kick in the opening few minutes but it did not affect City's flow.

Dave Reynolds and Birch crashed in headers within the opening 12 minutes and City could and should have scored more before the interval.

The one-way traffic continued after the restart with Josh Sarmento nodding in a Mark Danks corner at the near post on 57 minutes.

Sphinx defender Louis Guest received his marching orders for an unnecessary lunge on Aaron Griffiths with eight minutes to play but visiting substitute Ryan Harkin was still afforded a cheap consolation, strolling through to fire low across goal with Hughes promising to "address in training" the lapse in concentration.

Undeterred, Reynolds turned in a Griffiths centre and James Baldwin drove into space and netted during the last knockings to leave Hughes proud of City's ability to keep their cool in the face of Sphinx frustration.

“We told the lads not to get involved with them and they didn't," said Hughes.

"There were little things going on but the lads stuck to the task and got on with the job. It was good, we kept our heads and let the football do the talking.

“We knew how they would play, they were quite physical but we knew if we moved the ball quickly then we could bounce it off the forwards and get ourselves in."