Rangers still missing injured duo

Stafford Rangers are no closer to welcoming back their two injured first-team performers ahead of the home game against Gainsborough.

There has been a significant setback for defender Jermaine Johnson, who has broken down in training with a reoccurance of his hamstring injury and is facing a further period on the sidelines.

The other absentee, striker Nick Wellecomme, is making steady but slow progress but there is still significant swelling to his ankle.

It has ruled him out of the last six games, while Johnson has yet to play at all this season.

But Harry Davis and Kelvin Mellor will start after extending their loans from Crewe for another month this week, although the duo are not allowed to play in next Saturday's FA Cup tie at Eastwood.

Captain Craig McAughtrie will also miss that game, as a result of his red card in the home defeat to Stalybridge Celtic last weekend.

But the skipper will lead from the front in tomorrow's game at Marston Road, against a Gainsborough side managed by former Villa and Albion boss Brian Little, who lives in Stafford.

Little has found himself under pressure after five defeats in their opening eight Blue Square North games, not form expected from a team who are expected to be challenging for promotion.

Rangers are actually a place above them in the table, but McAughtrie is taking nothing for granted tomorrow.

He said: "There's no easy games in this division and the league table doesn't reflect the resources they have got.

"It's going to be tough because you don't know what you are going to get with Gainsborough. They have got the players, although it doesn't seem to be coming together for them at the minute.

"They are going to be desperate to win but the pressure is more on them, because they are expected to beat us. But after losing three on the bounce we can't afford to be losing another game.

"With the two home games we had targeted four points minimum, obviously we can't get that now but we can still get three from tomorrow."