TOUGH cookie Les Hines admits he would be prepared to play through the pain barrier for Worcester City.

Hines has been injured for more than a month with a torn thigh muscle and will be among a party of at least seven frustrated Worcester players watching from the sidelines during today's FA Cup fourth qualifying round clash at Accrington Stanley.

But the hardened left-back is among a breed of footballers made of sterner stuff.

For the want of assisting City in their current poor run of form, set-piece king Hines, 28, is willing to grit his teeth in the club's hour of need.

It is unlikely City player-manager Andy Preece will call on the former Kidderminster Harriers defender while he recovers, even taking into account the groin injury sustained by Shabir Khan this week.

"The gaffer told me he is not going to risk me while I'm injured," revealed Hines. "But there comes a time when you are prepared to do it to help the club.

"If I had to play, I would. It would not be ideal, but Worcester is not a Premiership club and sometimes you may be prepared to take a gamble if the squad is fairly thin on the ground.

"Of course, it can go two ways when playing through the pain barrier. You can run through it and everything would be OK, or you can aggravate the injury and cause more damage."

Hines returned to training on Thursday and is lined up to feature in a reserve fixture next week, along with midfielders George Clegg and Nick Colley.

If he sails through the next seven days with flying colours, Hines is hopeful of making his comeback appearance against Barrow at St George's Lane next Saturday.

He added: "I'm slowly getting there. In everyday life, I just don't feel a thing with the thigh. But I've got to get through training without a problem and then get a game under my belt.

"Basically, the tear is at the top of the thigh and it can take six weeks to heal. When I'm running, that's OK, but when there's resistance against the thigh, it can re-jar it.

"I would have loved to have played against Accrington, but it's not to be. A reserve game is being arranged next week for me and Cleggy to have a bit of a blow-out.

"If I get through that, then I'm looking at the Barrow game and that's a possibility."

Meanwhile, Worcester City have signed a three-year lease to run and operate the Bilford Road training ground which is home to their junior development club and football development scheme run by Ray Woods.

City signed the deal with Elgar Technology College, owners of the site, at St George's Lane on Monday night during the Nationwide North defeat to Nuneaton Borough.

Chairman Dave Boddy said: "Signing the lease was important to the future of the football club. Previously, we used Bilford Road on an informal basis.

"It is an excellent site with three full-size football pitches and changing facilities. Now we are operating the field, we will be looking to improve the facilities over the next 12 months."