YORK City skipper Simon Heslop is doubtful for tomorrow night’s trip to Macclesfield.

The 29-year-old captain has picked up a groin injury and Danny Holmes is on standby to deputise at Moss Rose.

On-loan Notts County net-minder Scott Loach, meanwhile, is set to continue in goal with Kyle Letheren yet to recover from his back problem and Yan Klukowski remains unavailable due to calf trouble.

Outlining his selection posers in Cheshire, City chief Gary Mills said: “Simon Heslop is feeling his groin a bit.

“We’ll be waiting on him, but it doesn’t look too optimistic and, if there’s any doubt, we don’t want to make it any worse by playing him in one game and then losing him for five. He’s our skipper and has been playing exceptionally well recently, but we know Danny Holmes can come in and do a good job for us no problem.

“Kyle is coming on well, but is struggling to be available for Macclesfield and, in Scott, we’ve also got a good keeper in at the right time for him to show what he’s got.”

Mills, meanwhile, has suggested his side might need to win five of their remaining eight fixtures to secure National League survival.

It is a target he believes is realistic for a squad of players who, including FA Trophy ties, have clinched victory in five of their last dozen outings.

“We’ll need around five wins,” the City chief declared. “We’ve got four important games left at home against Braintree, Bromley, Wrexham and Forest Green and I believe we can win all of them.

“Then, if we pick up just one win away, we should be fine. I think we’ll be looking at the late 40s in points or maybe a touch over 50 to be safe so, every game that goes by, the task becomes a bit tougher, but we have got a group of players who are capable of doing it and we can still finish the season sitting on 60 points in mid-table, if we win all eight.”

While many observers are predicting a three-way battle between City, Torquay and Woking to avoid two relegation places, Mills has argued, meanwhile, that other clubs further up the standings are still in striking distance.

“A few teams are still looking over their shoulders,” he reasoned. “Braintree are nine points above us at the moment but, if we win at Macclesfield, then beat them on Saturday, the gap will be down to three, so things can change quickly in football.

“We’ve also got our two games in hand on Woking tomorrow night and next Tuesday so, if we win both of them, we’ll go above them as well.”

Mills went on to reveal that he is trying to shelter his players from the inevitable stresses caused by their current league position.

“We don’t talk about the situation because I don’t want to put pressure on them and I have to make sure they don’t feel it,” he explained. “I won’t be telling them we have to win the next game, otherwise we’re in trouble because, if they don’t go out relaxed, they can’t play.”