WORCESTER Raiders boss Karl Gormley has revealed that striker Jordan Murphy is likely to spend a number of weeks away from football after his serious neck injury on Tuesday night.

Murphy was involved in a collision with a Tuffley player in stoppage time of the 1-1 draw at Sixways. The match referee abandoned the game given the nature of the injury and the striker was taken to Worcester Hospital, where he remained overnight.

He was released and sent home on Wednesday afternoon, but won't be returning to the pitch "for a while".

"Luckily enough, it was not as bas as well initially thought," said Gormley. "The way he went down and didn't move for a while, we were all a bit scared.

"But he has had a CT scan because of the concussion and neck injury so he has been told to take a few weeks off so we won't see him on the pitch for a while. 

"Football comes secondary though in these situations and he put the frighteners on a lot of us.

"He will be a miss on and off the pitch but he will still be around the squad, he will be there on Saturday and will be at the game on Wednesday for the derby.

"He is a leader and he is gutted to be missing that big game but we will keep him positive and he will be back before we know it." 

Raiders make the trip to Derbyshire this Saturday for their FA Vase first-round qualifying tie with Abbey Hulton United before hosting Worcester City in the first-ever competitive Worcester Derby in the Hellenic League Premier on Wednesday night.