YORK City will set off for Luton Town today still waiting to hear whether they can play leading scorer Richard Brodie in the Kenilworth Road clash.

A decision over Brodie’s appeal against the booking and subsequent one-match ban he incurred during Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Oxford is expected to be announced by the FA this afternoon.

Brodie was a victim of mistaken identity after team-mate Adam Smith kicked the ball out of the ground to celebrate Michael Rankine’s opening goal at Bootham Crescent.

The Minstermen have gathered statements from Oxford players and management staff in a bid to exonerate Brodie, who picked up the suspension after reaching five yellow cards for the season.

A copy of the match DVD has also been sent to the FA for consideration and manager Martin Foyle feels certain his ten-goal marksman will be cleared by the disciplinary panel.

He said: “It’s not been ideal from a preparation point of view not knowing whether Richard will be available or not but I am 100 per cent confident that he should be.

“We have statements from their players and manager and, on the DVD, you can’t see anybody picking the ball out of the net but Richard is running off in the opposite direction.”

Should the FA fail to transfer the caution to Smith, though, Foyle is likely to turn to Adam Boyes, with Richard Pacquette sidelined for the rest of the month with a pulled thigh muscle and fellow striker Michael Gash still recuperating from his metatarsal injury.

Boyes, who has returned to City on a one-month loan deal from Scunthorpe, has yet to make a senior appearance for the Iron after leaving Bootham Crescent in the summer but Foyle would be prepared to start him tonight, regardless of Brodie’s availability.

The City chief added: “I’ve been watching Adam play reserve-team football and he’s a fit boy.

“I’d have no hesitation playing him from the start either as a striker or somewhere else if we were to change things tactically.”

Boyes, like fellow loan signing Chris Carruthers, has also been cleared to play in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at home to Bedworth United.

Left-back Carruthers is expected to make his full debut at Luton as a replacement for James Meredith, who will miss out after Saturday’s sending-off against Oxford, but Foyle added: “We could also go with Daniel Parslow there and bring David McGurk in like we did at Salisbury. I’m not 100 per cent sure what I will do yet.”

Luton are currently four points ahead of the Minstermen in the final play-off spot but Foyle feels his team will benefit from facing a side known for their attractive brand of football.

He said: “They are a dangerous side, especially at home, but it will be a good game of football.

“They like to play and they will let us play as well, which should suit us.” Tamworth, meanwhile, have offered City midfielder Simon Russell a permanent move to the Lamb ground after the end of his loan spell.

Foyle added: “They want Simon and we are waiting to hear back from him and his agent now so hopefully something will be resolved in the next couple of days.”

Luton (probable): Tyler, Gnapka, Pilkington, White, Howells, Asafu-Adjaye, Nicholls, Hall, Newton, Craddock, Wright. Subs: Reynolds, Gore, Basham, Burgess, Charles.

City (probable): Ingham, Purkiss, Sangare, Parslow, Carruthers, Smith, Lawless, Barrett, Ferrell, Boyes (or Brodie), Rankine. Subs from: Boyes, McGurk, Mackin, Nelthorpe, Mimms, McWilliams.

Referee: Nick Kinseley (Essex).

Kick-off: 7.45pm.