YORK City veteran Chris Fairclough suffered another set-back this week in his ongoing bid to get fully fit - but this time it was weather not injury hampering his high hopes.

The 36-year-old, who has endured a stack of injury problems in the past 11 months, was at last ready to start full training after a recent calf strain.

But as Monday came around so too did the rain, forcing City's players to head indoors and washing out any testing sessions for Terry Dolan's Minstermen at the club's Wigginton road training complex.

The gym-work continued for much of the week as the rain ensured City got in just one outdoor training session - at York University on Thursday - before the Minstermen yesterday made their way to Cardiff for this afternoon's Third Division encounter.

The lack of full-training prevented Fairclough from stepping up his recovery to the next level.

And it surely means his planned comeback match for the reserves against Wrexham next week will now have to be put on hold.

However, the former Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Spurs centre-back, who won a top-flight championship medal at Elland Road, remains determined to get back on track sooner rather than later and insists he has no intention of hanging up his boots just yet.

And after months of injury frustration Fair-clough accepts now is not the time to rush his come-back and, bad weather or not, is ready and willing to play a patient waiting game.

"Playing a game is the next logical step but I've got to get myself in a good physical condition to do that otherwise I could pick up another injury," he insisted.

Injury-wise, Fairclough has endured one of the worst years of his career after damaging medial ligaments in his left knee last December.

He made a return to reserve action in March and the first team in April before a scan revealed he needed not only an operation to tidy up the knee but also further surgery to treat patella tendinitis.

After a summer of rejuvenation, Fairclough played again in the reserves in early September.

However, by his own admission, Fairclough pushed himself too hard and picked up a calf strain and slight hamstring pull that put his recovery back further.

In total, the former club captain, who was arguably city's player of the season up until Christmas last year, has started just three first-team games for City in 2000.

"It's been the most frustrating year I've had for a long time," he admitted.

"I've had injuries before but this year it's been one after another, and the older you get the longer it takes to recover."

Fairclough is now refusing to put a date on his hoped-for first-team re-turn.

"I've had that many set-backs that I'm not looking that far ahead.

"I just want to put in a good weeks' training and push on from that the next week," he said.

"Playing first-team football is my goal, but I've had that many problems recently that I just want to get into a physical condition whereby I'm able to just play football.

"It's a case of taking things one step at a time.

"At the moment my main concerns are getting over my injury problems while making sure I don't pick up any more.

"Pushing for full fitness and then a first-team place comes after that."

Fairclough - whose work towards a UEFA 'B' coaching licence has also been put back by his injury trouble - is aiming to win not only a first-team place back but also another contract.

"My contract is up in the summer and so it's up to me to get myself fit and playing well," he said.

"I'll be 37 then but I'd love to keep playing.

"I know it's unlikely anyone will offer me a two or three-year contract but I'm sure that if I got myself fit I could go on for another year and take it from there.

"I'd love to stay in the game - it's what I've been doing for 20 years."

peter.martini@ycp.co.uk