Rangers boss ready to debut duo

Stafford Rangers boss Greg Clowes is set to hand Matthew Bell and Michael Carr their Evo-Stik Northern Premier League debuts in midfield against Frickley.

The manager was still waiting on an answer from Kelvin Mellor today about a second spell on loan at Rangers from Crewe but has Bell and Carr ready to grace Marston Road for the first time tomorrow.

Bell joined on a month's loan from Mansfield this week while Carr, who turned down a move to Rangers when Tim Flowers was boss last season, signed from FC United of Manchester two weeks ago.

The former England C international got 90 minutes under his belt for Rangers in the Doodson Sports Cup last week and now stands-by for his league debut.

And the need for Mellor, who can play at the back or in midfield, has heightened with three defenders suspended tomorrow.

Captain Paul Donnelly starts a three-match ban, while Karl Espley and Peter Heler sit out one game after picking up five yellow cards.

Luke George is still out as is Fabrice Kasiama, both nursing ankle injuries, joining Michael Morton and Kevin Street in the treatment room.

But, despite a growing list of absentees, the prospect of an all-new midfield pairing is giving boss Clowes cause for optimism about tomorrow's game.

He said: "We are looking forward to it and Frickley are a team that are very similar to us, a little bit hit and miss.

"If you look at the middle of the table, inconsistency is written all over the teams that are in that area.

"That's cost us of late and we have not passed the ball around as well as we should be doing.

"We need players who are good on the ball because, in tight games, we have got to have someone who can unlock the door.

"It's important for us to get our season back-on-track."