TOM Platt has been told to assert himself at York City following his recall from a loan spell at Harrogate Town.

The former youth-team captain, who turns 22 on Thursday, is back at Bootham Crescent with Luke Summerfield sidelined for tomorrow night's home clash against Oxford due to the head and back injuries he sustained during Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Notts County.

Fellow midfielder James Berrett will also incur a one-match suspension if he receives another yellow card before the end of November. prompting City chief Wilcox to revise his decision to extend Platt's stay at Wetherby Road following the expiry of the initially-agreed one-month switch.

He has made six appearances, including five starts, for the Conference North outfit and, while 17-year-old Ben Godfrey is expected to get the nod as Summerfield's replacement against the U's, Wilcox is looking for Platt to now stake his claim for a first-team place too.

"With Luke's situation, we had to recall Tom and he will be coming back to us fit," the City boss pointed out. "He gives me another body and another option, which we need while we are playing a three-man midfield and, whatever people may think of Tom, he made a good impact when he came into the team under Nigel (Worthington) and he did the same for me last season.

"The club were in a dogfight on both occasions but he did well, which shows he's a strong character because it's always easier to step into a team that's winning but we've had conversations and he knows he needs to make his mark on the side by being more assertive and affecting play more with and without the ball."

The early signs are Summerfield has escaped serious damage following his awkward fall at Meadow Lane but Wilcox is in no position to put a timeframe on a possible return, adding: "Luke went to hospital in Nottingham after the game and they wanted to keep him in but he insisted on going home.

"He's a bit better but won't be available tomorrow and I don't know how much longer beyond that, but the good news is the scans from Saturday night have come back clear. He will just need time to recover from the concussion and pain in his back."

In addition to welcoming Platt back to the fold, Wilcox has also not ruled out entering the loan market with Summerfield joining a list of unavailable players that also includes the suspended Vadaine Oliver and unfit trio Jake Hyde, Michael Coulson and George Swan.

The Minstermen are also sweating on the fitness of a couple of other players with niggles from the weekend and Wilcox said: "We've been looking at who we might be able to bring in since Saturday night and I've got names of possible targets in every position because you need to plan for whatever might lie ahead."

On-loan Oldham striker Rhys Turner is back in contention after missing out in Nottingham with a knock and Wilcox has told his team to expect another good test against an Oxford team currently lying sixth in the Sky Bet League Two standings.

"They have some quality players," he reasoned. "Their big summer signing Kemar Roofe is the main one and they are a good passing side who play 4-2-3-1.

"If we press too high, they will have the quality to pick us off and it could be a game when they have a bit more ball than we do because they are a possession-based team so we've got to be on our guard, while putting our stamp on the game."

Tomorrow's game is the first of three consecutive home fixtures in eight days with visits from top-ten teams Oxford and Cambridge followed by a Johnstone's Paint Trophy clash against neighbours Doncaster.

On that schedule, Wilcox said: "It's a tough run of game but that's no excuse. You have to play every team home and away during the season and we need to make a mark at Bootham Crescent with some positive results.

"We've got to get back to the way we were playing during our three-game unbeaten run before Saturday's big blip. A few words were said in the dressing room at Notts County and they had to be because that performance wasn't good enough."

City forgotten man Anthony Straker was a second-half substitute in that game and could be handed his first-ever start during Wilcox's 11-and-a-half-month reign at Bootham Crescent, especially if the Minstermen revert back to a 4-3-3 line-up.

David Tutonda and Josh Carson are other options in the wide-left position with Wilcox saying: "Straker played on the left-hand side of a front three when Southend got to the play-offs and I am looking for somebody to grab the shirt and put in a performance that tells others to come and take it off them."

The kick-off for City's October 31 away clash against Crawley, meanwhile, has been brought forward to 12.30pm to avoid a clash with the Rugby Union World Cup final.