JON Parkin is not guaranteed an instant recall to York City’s starting line-up if he is fit for selection this weekend.

The form of Michael Rankine during Parkin’s absence with a calf injury has seen him emerge as a credible contender for the lone central striking role in Gary Mills’ 4-3-3 formation.

City chief Mills has admitted it would be difficult to shoehorn both target-men into the system that has resulted in three wins and one draw since the switch from 3-4-3, but went on to suggest that the availability of Rankine, who bagged a brace in Saturday’s 4-3 win against Nuneaton, as well as last term’s 16-goal top scorer Parkin, would give him great options.

Saturday’s trip to Southport could represent the first occasion, Rankine and Parkin are in the same squad, with the former missing the opening two fixtures due to hamstring trouble and, on a potentially attractive selection dilemma, Mills said: “The way we have played in the last four games doesn’t make it easy to play both of them.

“That’s obvious, but what is nice is that, if they are both fit, we can always change to something. The way Ranks has been playing and having scored two goals at the weekend, Jon has been in the game long enough and knows that, even if he is fit on Saturday, it does not mean he will play and, for myself, to have a goalscorer like Jon on the bench or somebody like Ranks, is good news.

“Ranks’ hunger has been nice to see for somebody of his age who has spent two seasons away from full-time football. He wants to play and get the club back to where we should be and want to be.

“He’s also getting fitter and full-time training is making him stronger again.”

With his current tactics mirroring those of his 2011/12 double-Wembley winning team when 103 goals were scored, Mills has also set double-figured targets for his two advanced midfield players Simon Heslop and Sean Newton as well as the team’s front three, adding: “With the system we’re playing, I think there are 15 to 20 goals to be had for the three up front and between 10 and 15 for the attacking midfielders.

“The likes of Paddy McLaughlin, Matty Blair, Ashley Chambers and Jason Walker hit those targets before and, along with Hessie, Newts has also scored twice, as have Ranks and Morgs (Amari Morgan-Smith) who, like Jon, could have had more. I can’t believe Louis (Almond) hasn’t scored yet and he’s been a bit unlucky not to, but the possibility is there for all of them to get those amounts of goals, because we are creating the chances.”

Rankine, Morgan-Smith and Heslop have already bagged braces this term, with the latter praised for both his anticipation and recapturing his best form.

“We’ve worked in training at getting on the end of things and enabling yourself to score in and around the box,” Mills explained. “Hessie did that twice on Saturday and it was all about desire and reading the game to judge where the ball was going to land.

“I think he’s been excellent and played better in the last two games than he has for a long time.”

Mills’ projection for success has always been to average at least two points a game – the present ratio after five matches and he is looking to maintain that record over the August bank-holiday period when two matches will be played in 48 hours.

On that challenge, the City chief confessed: “I would rather play Saturday-Tuesday than Saturday-Monday, as I’m not a big lover of two games so close together, but we have to be prepared for that and go to a team in Southport who are doing really well and pick up three points, if we can, but certainly at least one, before coming back home and trying to beat FC United of Manchester.

“I think August will have been a big, touch ask for the squad we have got and ten points from a possible 15 hasn’t been a bad return so far. I’ve always said, if you pick up two points per game on average, you’ll either win the league or be there or thereabouts.”

City’s FA Youth Cup first qualifying round tie against neighbours Tadcaster Albion will be played at Bootham Crescent on Wednesday, September 6, kick-off 7pm.

Admission will be £3 for adults and £1 for concessions.

Noah Jackson and Ryan Edmondson goals earned the Minstermites their first Football League Youth Alliance North East victory of the season over Grimsby at the weekend.

Previously, Steve Torpey’s teenagers had lost to Bradford and shared the spoils with Rotherham.