WORCESTER City boss Chris Cornes admits the "pressure is on us" this weekend when relegation-threatened Lydney Town come to Claines Lane in the Hellenic League Premier.

Second-bottom Lydney have lost 20 of their 27 matches in the 2023/24 campaign and are only seven points clear of bottom side Wantage Town, having played two games more than the side below them.

With second-placed City unbeaten in 20, with just one league defeat in the entire campaign, all roads point towards a comfortable victory for Cornes' title favourites, but he was adamant that Lydney would not be taken lightly.

"We will be playing our strongest team, it's a league game and we need to put three points on the board," he said.

City now begin a run of three games against sides towards the bottom of the league. After Saturday's clash with Lydney, they play Thornbury Town (18th) and Longlevens (16th) in the same week before back-to-back derbies against Pershore Town and Worcester Raiders.

"We have a run of games against teams in the bottom half and these are the games that test you as a management group, individually and as a playing group. We all need to have a look at ourselves and get ourselves up for this game," added Cornes.

"It can be difficult to get yourself up for a game like this when everyone is expecting you to win, the pressure is on us. We have to keep plugging away and do what we do best on Saturday.

"It's a massive game. It's a bigger game than the week after (FA Vase vs Stourport Swifts) so we will be going all out to get three points because the week after we are in the Vase and we will be another game back from Corsham so we need those points and we will be going all out to get them."

In regards to an injury update for Saturday, Cornes will have Connor Gater available again after he came off with some tightness in his hamstring last weekend. He was rested on Tuesday but Cornes confirmed he would be back involved for Lydney.

Calvin Dinsley is still struggling with a slightly more severe hamstring injury and remains a doubt for both this game vs Lydney Town and next week's Vase tie with Stourport Swifts.

Cam Monteith was replaced in the first-half on Tuesday night but Cornes said that was purely precautionary and was only cramp. Striker Dylan Hart is still out after having his appendix removed.