ATTACKING midfielder Connor Mooney has been given a chance to get his football career back on track at Worcester City after a long injury lay-off.

Mooney, who spent seven years with Aston Villa’s youth set-up, was an unused substitute in Monday’s 3-2 Midland Football League Premier Division defeat at Boldmere St Michaels.

The former Stratford Town and Highgate United player will boost numbers for City’s festive programme, starting with Saturday’s league visit to Lye Town (3pm).

Worcester manager Ashley Vincent said: “Connor is someone we know, he has played at this level and a couple higher as well.

“He is a fantastic footballer who has been out for a long time with a shoulder injury and trained with us for a couple of months now.

“We wanted to get him back up and running and he needed the all-clear from the doctor which he has had.

“He is not match-fit but we have seen a lot of quality from him so we are going to try to build up his match fitness, whether that’s through us or the reserve side, and he could be an asset for us in the second half of the season.

“He is a midfielder with attacking instincts, a very technical footballer, very neat and tidy with an eye for a killer pass, probably in the mould of Josh Willis and Liam Lockett.

“We need to look after him, he hasn’t played for a long time and we have to ease him back into it but it will be another quality option with us losing one or two here and there.”

Vincent admits City could face a backlash on Saturday — if the match survives a morning pitch inspection — after thrashing Lye 6-0 at the Victoria Ground in late November.

He continued: “If anything they will want to right the wrongs from that day.

“We know what they’re about, they know what we’re about and it makes for a level playing field from the start of the game.

“It doesn’t matter what went before, this one starts 0-0 and we have to go and assert ourselves, making sure we are a lot more solid than we were at Boldmere on Monday and that we are ruthless when the chances come along.

“I am not saying we would have won 6-0 (at Boldmere) because there were mistakes along the way but we had the chances to score six goals.

“We need to get back to being as ruthless as we were a few weeks ago.”

The Boldmere defeat was City’s third match in six days at a time when injuries have mounted up.

Vincent added: “The boys will give us their lot which they always do.

“Some are playing with injuries and I am trying to get some rest for one or two. I rested Dan Okojie for that reason on Monday in the hope of getting minutes from him on Saturday.

“At the moment we need a bit of respite but we’re not going to get it and I have told the lads that. The games come thick and fast and we have to stand up to that.

“The schedule is not helpful when you’re carrying injuries but that’s a general point. I’m not just talking about Worcester City there, it is the same for everyone.

“I am not having that as an excuse for anyone, everyone has to play a lot of games, everyone gets injuries. It is down to how you deal with it.”