MORECAMBE completed their pre-season warm-up programme on Tuesday - by sending a reserve side to play Unibond Division One Chorley.

Such is the injury crisis at Christie Park that manager Jim Harvey was unwilling to put any more of his squad at risk before the big kick off at Exeter on Saturday.

The Grecians are likely to among Morecambe's major rivals in the push for promotion to the Football League when it comes to the shake-up at the end of the season.

New signing Carl Ruffer and Academy graduates Lee Dodgson, Paul Osborne and Garry Hunter are definitely out of contention.

Ruffer has tendonitis on the knee and is receiving treatment at Lilleshall. He will be out of action for about a month, says the club.

Dodgson, Osborne and Hunter all have foot or shin injuries picked up in pre-season friendlies and are ruled out of the squad.

Likewise, youngster Danny Mahoney will be absent because he is away on a prebooked holiday - not having been expected to make such rapid progress into the Shrimps first team squad.

But there is better news of midfielder Jimmy Kelly, who has hardly featured in the warm-ups because of injury. He is receiving treatment to an achilles problem but is expected to travel to Exeter on Saturday.

Michael Stringfellow and Sean O'Connor are also on the way back from injury and should travel, while centre back Iain Swan is receiving treatment on a knee problem but should not be prevented from playing, says Harvey.

Morecambe's first home game of the new season will see Accrington Stanley at Christie Park next Tuesday evening, August 17, kick off 7.45pm.

LANCASTER City have no such problems as they prepare to kick off at Giant Axe against highly-rated Stafford Rangers in the new Nationwide Conference North.

Phil Wilson's men rounded off their warm-ups with a 2-0 win at Witton Albion on Saturday, thanks to goals from Tony Sullivan and in-form Peter Thomson.