Wellecomme a big doubt for tie

The seven-goal striker had to be replaced after 40 minutes of Saturday's 1-0 win over Gloucester with suspected back spasms, a problem which initially first flared up at the start of the season.

Wellecomme is now waiting for an appointment to see a chiropractor this week, with the clock ticking until the team bus leaves on Friday for an overnight stay in Washington, near Blyth, as part of a 440-mile round trip for the third qualifying round tie.

The absence for the all-Blue Square North clash of the talismanic forward would be a blow, as the 25-year-old recalled the pain endured before giving way on Saturday.

He said: "I am struggling at the moment to be honest, my back just seized up although it's a bit better now than it was. It was awful when it happened, I just couldn't move. The physio reckons it could be spasms, there was a hard lump there but we don't think that is the problem.

"It has been going on for three months now, I have played through the pain but it got to me on Saturday."

Rangers' striking options would be limited should the player not make it, with only the untried Eugene Francis an out-and-out option on the bench for Saturday's game.

Wellecomme's strike partner Ben Mills could lighten the load and is not far off catching up at the top of the club's scoring charts with six goals, four of those in his last five games.

But the squad were shorn of loan signing Steve Thompson as another option at the start of last month, who opted to join league rivals AFC Telford when his contract was cancelled at Port Vale.

Yet, despite the mounting odds, Wellecomme is still refusing to rule himself out of anything.

He said: "Who knows in relation to the next game, if I can get in to see the chiropractor a couple of times this week I could make it. I am waiting for a call, so all I can do is wait. I am hoping to be fit, because I want to play in the game on Saturday.

"I am the sort of footballer that always wants to be involved, so I will give it my best shot."