EXPERIENCED trio Luke Summerfield, Dave Winfield and Russell Penn are all set to return to the York City fold for Saturday's Sky Bet League Two clash at Bristol Rovers.

Jackie McNamara promised a "different" side at the Memorial Ground after watching youthful Minstermen line-ups receive back-to-back humblings at Portsmouth (6-0) and against Accrington (5-1) and the availability of Penn, Winfield and Summerfield is seen as a key factor the City boss' ability to deliver on that vow.

All three are expected to be handed starting spots against the Pirates with Summerfield's likely recall the biggest surprise, as the 28-year-old midfielder has not played any football since suffering severe concussion at Notts County in mid-September.

He also spent the first month of his rehabilitation unable to walk for longer than five minutes.

Centre-back Winfield, 27, has not featured for three games - also due to a head injury - while 30-year-old skipper Penn has missed the last nine matches with damage to his ankle.

Seven players aged 21 and under were used by McNamara against Accrington but the ex-Dundee United chief is now hoping to strengthen the spine of his team with some of the squad's seasoned campaigners.

He said: "Luke has trained with us and I'm hoping he can feature. He seems totally fine and, with Russell Penn coming back too, it would be good to get players in there with grit, determination, experience and an ability to settle people down.

"Dave (Winfield) has also got a chance of starting. I don't feel I've seen the best of him yet, but we are looking for leadership qualities and for him to use his size and experience to help take us forward."

City will be without former Liverpool youth-team captain Jordan Lussey for the trip to Bristol.

He made his professional debut against Accrington but has returned to parent club Bolton due to injury.

Michael Coulson (groin), Jake Hyde (groin), Eddie Nolan (hamstring), Emile Sinclair (knee), Marvin McCoy (foot infection), Jonathan Greening (suspended) and Reece Thompson (long-term illness) will also be missing.

With Lussey, Nolan and McCoy all unavailable, McNamara could turn to on-loan Arsenal 18-year-old centre-half Stefan O'Connor at right back after he finished the Accrington match in that position.

The City manager added: "We've had to send Jordan Lussey back to Bolton because he's torn a muscle. I think he played with a bit of a problem and has made it worse.

"Eddie Nolan and Marvin McCoy are also out, so we've got a bit of a problem at right back and we've been looking at a couple of things."

City will face a Rovers team who boast 13-goal striker Matt Taylor in their ranks.

Taylor hit a hat-trick in his last outing - 1 3-0 home triumph over Wycombe - but McNamara believes he has identified potential flaws in the tenth-placed Pirates' armoury.

"It will be a tough game," McNamara reasoned. "They've done well during the last few weeks and have changed their shape to 3-5-2.

"They're very positive and have two dangerous forwards in Taylor and (Rory) Gaffney but I feel we also have the players to hurt them going forward. They leave themselves man for man at the back at times and we've got to look to exploit that."