MARTIN O'Connor is considering exerting his influence directly on the pitch with a long-awaited Conference return tonight.

The Kidderminster Harriers caretaker-boss admitted he is tempted to throw himself back into the fray following Monday's flat 1-1 home draw with fellow strugglers Altrincham.

O'Connor has missed eight weeks after knee surgery but is keen to help Harriers exact quick revenge on visitors Burton Albion for a 1-0 defeat at the Pirelli Stadium in late November.

Fellow midfielder Simon Russell, sidelined with a fractured wrist, also returns to the squad so the places of Terry Fleming, Russ Penn, Simon Heslop and Michael Blackwood are under threat.

O'Connor, the former Birmingham City and Walsall campaigner, admitted: "I'm probably at the right stage to be getting some time on the pitch under my belt but we'll see.

"The lads have performed well as of late and perhaps it would be a bit harsh to ship some of them out of the team just going by the Altrincham game.

"But, with that said, I've told the lads that changes aren't out of the question because they may have worked for their spots in the side but they still need to carry on working to keep themselves in."

Harriers picked up under O'Connor with two cup wins over Scarborough in the FA Trophy and Bradford City in the LDV Vans Trophy but they badly need league victories.

However, Nigel Clough's Burton, possibly with one eye on the big FA Cup visit of Man Utd on January 8, are now just two points and one position ahead of Kidderminster in 15th.

Since defeating Burscough 4-1 to achieve the dream tie, they have drawn 0-0 with Gravesend, 1-1 at Tamworth and lost 1-0 at Forest Green as well as being dumped out of the FA Trophy by lower-ranked Worksop.

Harriers' record signing Andy Ducros, who joined for around £100,000 in 2000 but never lived up to his big price tag and left two-and-a-half years later, is back in the Burton side.

Ducros could well make his first return to Aggborough with centre-half Lee Ayres also involved.

But the versatile Andy Corbett, another Aggborough old boy, is a doubt with a bad cut in the corner of his eye.

Ex-Birmingham defender Gary Rowett, who cost Leicester £3 million in 2000 before retiring from the full-time game with a knee injury, could stand in.

Meanwhile, O'Connor must still make a decision on five-goal forward Taiwo Atieno's future with his loan from Walsall coming to an end after tonight's game.

Although he has spoken with manager Paul Merson at Walsall, the club are waiting for a definite answer from the player.

Atieno has been kept on the bench in recent games by the form of top scorer Iyseden Christie and Lee Thompson.

O'Connor added: "I don't know if he'd like to stay. I've spoken to him about it but he's still undecided at the moment."

An Aggborough pitch inspection will take place at noon today due to the recent freezing weather.