Caretaker boss Stewart Watkins laid bare the challenge facing Worcester City both on and off the pitch following the 3-0 Midland Football League Cup defeat to Stourport Swifts on Tuesday.

City are without a permanent manager and have been left with a squad semi reliant on players from the Reserve team.

Tuesday's defeat to Stourport meant City are now out of all competitions already this season and in the league, they are third bottom with just two wins in the 2022/23 MFL Premier campaign.

Watkins explained just how difficult the situation has become.

"It is a big task," he said.

"We have reserve players coming in and doing really well but there are a number of players in the team who are working really hard.

"But the challenge is at the moment that we have players playing themselves out of the team and players playing themselves into the team.

"We are trying to get players in but when no one is sure who is going to be the next manager, it is a real challenge and that's the fact.

"We are trying to get loans in and lads that we know but that is easier said than done."

Watkins was keen to praise those younger players and the ones that have come through the second-string and thrust into the senior side.

But he knows that he needs more than just effort and workrate for the club to get themselves out of the hole they are in.

He even admitted that some of the players have never even met before Tuesday's game. 

"It's not for the want of trying," he said.

"I have a group of players in that dressing room that are really disappointed.

"But some of the lads in there did not even know each other before going onto the pitch. We have brought a couple of young lads in and they are doing their best but they don't even know the names of the players they are playing with.

"That is the challenge we face."