INJURY and illness have decimated Worcester City's squad ahead of tomorrow's crunch clash with Eastbourne Borough at St George's Lane (3pm).

Danny McDonnell, Paul Carty, Leon Kelly, Allan Davies and the suspended Shabir Khan are either out or rated doubtful.

City goalkeeper McDonnell is still recovering from salmonella poisoning and manager John Barton claimed he had 'no chance" of making it.

Number two stopper Shaun Hayes stands by to make his second start in succession.

Left-back Carty is out with a knee injury sustained at Stafford Rangers and Barton's problems have been compounded by Khan's ban.

The youngster is Carty's natural replacement but is serving a county FA suspension following his dismissal in a youth game.

Top scorer Kelly is another worry for Barton. The 25-year-old didn't train last night, suffering from a cold.

Meanwhile Davies, who fractured a bone at the base of his wrist in Monday's defeat at Stafford, might have to play through the pain barrier.

He is due to speak to a consultant today with the possibility of wearing a light plaster cast for tomorrow's match. The 31-year-old trained last night but his swollen hand throbbed afterwards and he might be advised not to risk it.

Davies took the brunt of a Carl Heeley clearance at Marston Road on Monday which tore ligaments off one of the metacarpus bones of his hand between the wrist and fingers tearing a piece of bone off with it.

After three defeats in four Dr Martens Premier games, which has seen City fall from third to fifth, Barton admitted the spate of injuries had been far from ideal preparations for such an important match.

"But that is where we are and that is what we have got to face," he said.

"We will have 11 players on the pitch and one or two of those have more than a point to prove after the last couple of displays."

Barton is hoping for further rain to soften up the St George's Lane pitch but said whatever its condition they had to get a result.

"Everybody in the league is talking about the level and quality of the football getting worse as a result of the pitches."