YORK City centre-back Matt Fry will be sidelined for two months following knee surgery.

The Gravesend-born 26-year-old has not featured for the Minstermen in pre-season having also finished last term on the sidelines and is unlikely to be back in action before October.

Fellow defender Clovis Kamdjo is also ruled out until November due to cruciate ligament damage but, with the likes of Dan Parslow, Hamza Bencherif, Sean Newton and Jassem Sukar all on the Bootham Crescent books, City chief Gary Mills will not be looking for back-line reinforcements before the National League North campaign kicks off with a home clash against Telford in a fortnight’s time.

He said: “Matt Fry is having an operation on his knee and will be out for six to eight weeks, but we’ve got four centre halves and a couple of full backs who could play as part of a back three if needed as well, so there’s plenty of cover there.”

Aidan Connolly – the Minstermen’s other long-term injury casualty – will also miss tomorrow afternoon’s pre-season friendly at Northern Premier League premier division outfit Grantham Town, but Mills otherwise has a fully-fit squad to select from.

The fixture sees Mills return to the town where he cut his managerial teeth between 1996 and 1998 and the City boss believes the venue will provide a suitable setting as he prepares his players for the varied landscape of sixth-tier football.

“Pre-season is all about getting a mix of games for different reasons,” Mills pointed out. “I’ve never been to Bradford Park Avenue, but I believe they have a running track around the pitch, like at Grantham and we will be going there early in the season.

“I’ve managed at Grantham and Gateshead where they both have athletics tracks and I know it makes the atmosphere different with the stands being further away from the pitch. But, no matter what the environment, you have to be good professionals and play to the best of your ability.

“I’ve spoken to the players about that, because we will be seeing different qualities of facilities and changing rooms next season and we’ve still got to be excited enough to get the job done.”

City will set up a four-day training camp in Leicestershire following the Grantham game, ahead of next Tuesday’s match at United Counties League first division Oakham United.

On the purpose of that exercise, Mills added: “Pre-season is always a tough time for players, because you’re working virtually every day at the same training ground, so it’s good to get away to a different environment.

“This will be an opportunity to eat together, work together and do everything together for a few days and get to know each other a bit more. People might say what’s team spirit and bonding all about, but it’s very important.”

Elsewhere, former City defender and academy coach Graham Potter is celebrating his biggest triumph as a manager after leading Swedish minnows Ostersunds to a 3-1 aggregate Europa League victory over Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Ex-City youth-team attacker Jamie Hopcutt had scored in a 2-0 first-leg win over the former UEFA Cup winners and the Swedes secured progress in front of the notoriously hostile Istanbul club's supporters.

Galatasaray included the likes of former Premier League stars Bafetimbi Gomis and Maicon and Ostersunds will now go on to face Luxembourg's Fola Esch in the third qualifying round.