YORK City’s unlucky summer signing Steven Hogg is set to miss the start of the season with shingles.

The 22-year-old midfielder has contracted the virus ahead of Saturday’s Blue Square Premier curtain-raiser at Crawley Town and is now unlikely to travel with the squad to West Sussex.

Hogg also missed City’s friendly matches with Barnsley and Middlesbrough due to a thigh injury during a stop-start pre-season programme restricted to one half against Tadcaster and cameo outings against Harrogate Railway (33 minutes), Hartlepool (11 mins) and Sheffield FC (27 mins).

The former Manchester United trainee’s progress at previous clubs Gretna and Shrewsbury was dogged by a series of niggles and strains after growth spurts saw him develop a 6ft 3ins frame.

City boss Colin Walker will be hoping he enjoyed better fortunes at KitKat Crescent and, about his latest complaint, said: “Hoggy has been unfortunate with injuries since he came here and he’s now got shingles as well, so he will need to stay away from the club for a while.”

Goalkeeper Michael Ingham, meanwhile, is still being monitored to see whether the thigh injury that caused him to miss the pre-season matches against Hartlepool and Sheffield, as well as the majority of the Harrogate Railway pre-season friendly, will recover in time for Crawley.