Rangers set a date for return of duo

Stafford Rangers were today expecting long-term injury victims Karl Espley and Grant Goodhead to be fit enough to rejoin the first-team squad by the start of next month.

The two centre-halves have yet to kick a competitive ball for Rangers this season, but have returned to training and are set to have their programmes stepped up tonight.

Goodhead has been back for a couple of weeks but is effectively going through pre-season again, after badly breaking his big toe in June.

Espley was back training with the squad in Tuesday's game against Rushall Olympic at Marston Road, completing the warm-up with the team.

And Clowes said: "I expect both of them to be back in the squad by the end of the month and be fit and raring to go by October 1.

"That should, hopefully, put a stop my search for a centre-half."

Espley waited two months for a scan on his groin, which Rangers' medical staff feared had grown and attached itself to the bone.

The 25-year-old has played just 45 minutes for Rangers so far, in the club's first pre-season friendly against Port Vale on July 9.

But the summer signing from Clowes' old club, Newcastle Town, has now been cleared to start his rehabilitation.

Clowes said: "They have done an ultra-sound scan on Karl and, normally, that would pick something up.

"But if it starts again, he will have to have a CT scan, because that goes a lot deeper.

"We think, with the rest that he has had, he's fine."