DAN Parslow could fill the York City midfield void caused by Simon Lappin’s ruptured Achilles.

Bootham Crescent chief Gary Mills turned to Parslow to fill an anchorman role five years ago when, as the Minstermen were chasing a play-off and FA Trophy double, key performer Scott Kerr was ruled out for the season with cruciate ligament damage.

Parslow went on to star there as City won twice at Wembley in back-to-back weekends and, with his team battling on two fronts once more, as the fight to secure National League survival runs in tandem with another Trophy run, Mills is mulling over whether the two-time Press Player of the Year could be moved forward from his defensive role again.

With Matt Fry out due to medial ligament damage and Shaun Rooney just one caution away from a two-match suspension, such a switch would probably mean reinforcing the back line, but Mills said: “I wouldn’t be loath to move Dan out of defence because I brought him back knowing I can trust him and that, wherever I play him, he won’t let us down and we know what we will get.

“We have seen that with his performances at centre half. He plays every game in the same manner and, if I decided to play him in the middle of the park, he would just get on with it.

“If we did go down that route, we would probably need another centre half, because we’re becoming thin on numbers and Shaun Rooney is one booking away from suspension, so that’s hanging over his head.”

Skipper Simon Heslop is still expected to shift back inside from his right-wing back role at Boreham Wood on Saturday, as he did when Lappin limped out of the action during last weekend’s 1-1 home draw with Maidstone.

But, if Mills elects to revert back from 3-4-3 to a 3-5-2 formation, there will be one more place up for grabs in midfield.

Should that be the case, he is not ruling out the return either of two players – Adriano Moke and Danny Holmes – who have not started a league game since the disappointing 1-0 home reverse to bottom-of-the-table North Ferriby on New Year’s Day.

“Mokes picked up a bit of an injury and missed a game and the players have been doing well since then,” the City chief explained. “You can only play 11 and he appreciates that, as does everybody on the bench, but Mokes is another one who you know what you’re getting when you put him out there and the same applies to Danny Holmes, who has been excellent for us since he came in.”