Midfielder Carl Rodgers has been ordered to rest up in a bid to be fit for AFC Telford United’s Blue Square North clash with Southport on Saturday.

Tough-tackling Rodgers, known as Bruno, was substituted in Monday evening’s 1-0 FA Cup replay victory at Worcester after taking a painful blow to his toe.

But assistant manager Larry Chambers remains hopeful that the former Colwyn Bay man will be fit for the weekend clash at home to the division’s second-placed side.

“Bruno got a knock on his toe but I don’t know at this stage how serious it actually is,” he revealed.

“We’ve told him to rest it and we’ll take a look at training tomorrow and see how he is coming along.

“The one thing is that we have now got competition for places and we’re not too depleted by one injury.”

The Bucks have been drawn away in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup a week on Saturday.

But they still don’t know who they will be up against as their potential opponents, Salford and Blyth Spartans, played out a 2-2 draw in Manchester last night. The replay is next Tuesday.

Boss Rob Smith was at Saturday’s opponents Southport last night, watching the Sandgrounders knock Alfreton out of the competition in a replay.

Chambers took in the match at UniBond League side Salford, and revealed that the minnows came very close to an upset.

“It was a very even game and I would say that Salford were slightly the better side,” he said. “Blyth will be the favourites now, but whoever we playing it will be a tough game.”

By CHRIS HUDSON