CHRIS Smith faces a game-by-game decision to see if he can play for Worcester City after suffering five fractures to his right hand.

The 25-year-old utility player sustained the injury during Saturday's FA Cup clash with Romulus but the damage was not revealed until he saw a specialist on Tuesday.

Smith, who went to hospital after getting home from the Romulus draw, sat out Mon-day night's 3-1 replay victory on the orders of manager Andy Preece.

He now faces a minimum of two weeks in a fibre-glass cast and the break could take between four and six weeks to heal.

Although he has been cleared to play, Smith says it is down to the referee's discretion before each match whether he is safe to play, beginning against Harrogate Town in a Nationwide North clash at St George's Lane tomorrow night.

He said: "I am able to play, it's just really down to the ref, which sounds a bit daft because one ref could say yes and one could say no.

"I don't want to miss another game. Hopefully we can put a bit of cotton wool around it and it will be OK.

"Further down the line the break will get stronger so I will be able to wear a different cast. I want to be selected for every game barring suspension.

"Whether the ref passes me or not, I've still got to be selected because the team played really well on Monday and I can't grumble if I don't play."

Smith also said the injury was a bit of a mystery.

"I know I fell and it did hurt then," he said. "Maybe I caught the player with my hand as well. I didn't think much of it at the time but it was really sore when I was driving home so I went to A&E."

Manager Preece was on the scoresheet as the reserves won 3-0 at Kettering Town. Preece, Troy Wood and Grant Gibbs were all on target in the second-half of the Central Conference match.

The next reserve game is at Burton on Monday (7.45pm).