GARY THORNTON says he has “no choice” but to throw Matty Nicholson straight back in at the deep end when York City Knights face Swinton in tomorrow night’s big six-pointer.

The prop has been out since Easter having undergone shoulder surgery and missed out on potentially vital game-time when soreness post-training saw him withdraw from Saturday’s under-20s match at Rochdale.

He has not been named as an overage player in tonight’s provisional U20s squad either, when it was thought he might be given short spells to get his eye in, and this omission led inevitably to the big question – was he not ready to play or was he being saved for tomorrow’s Kingstone Press Championship relegation showdown?

Said Thornton: “I don’t think I’ve got any choice but to risk him. I think we miss that punch up the middle which he brings. I think it’s worth the risk for what he offers. With a player of that quality, I think we’ve got to bite the bullet.

“How long he lasts is a question I can’t answer but we’ve worked him really hard in training and he’s done an awful lot of wrestling and contact work.

“For three or four weeks he’s been doing a lot of hard work and we’ve given him as much game simulation as we can. He’s chomping at the bit and that tells me he feels confident. I’m hoping he’s being honest about being ready and I think he is. He’s upset he’s missed the majority of the season and he wants to help us out of the trouble we’re in.”

He added: “Nathan Freer and Jack Aldous are capable of doing big minutes up front depending on how long Matty can last, and we might go with extra props on the bench, so I think we’ve got cover in case anything does break down.”

Freer, as suggested, is poised to return from his two-match injury absence, bringing more size up front, while half-back Simon Brown is back from his four-match ban and hooker Kriss Brining should also be fit again.

There are new doubts over Jack Latus, who joins brother Sam on the treatment table, but fellow centre James Ford came through Sunday’s match okay after his latest spell on the sidelines. Greg Minikin, who has continued to shine at centre for the U20s, is on standby to play the most important game of his life.

Meanwhile, another win over Rochdale at Huntington Stadium tonight (7.45pm) will leave Ford’s U20s team needing victory at Oldham in the last game of their regular season to qualify for the three-team play-offs in the U20s Championship.

Salford and Featherstone face a decider to see who comes top. The team that finishes third – and the Knights head that race – meet the runners-up for the right to take on the league winners in the U20s grand final.

Pencilled in for debuts tonight are back-rower Stuart Zubrzycki, from East Leeds, and full-back Jordan Foster, from Wakefield College, who have been training with the U20s since impressing at the club’s open trial.

Knights U20s (provisional): B Dent, Tomkinson, Minikin, A Dent, Gallacher, Morland, Green, Payne, Carter, Fitzsimmons, Craig, Crane, Pickles, Poulter, Parker, Broughton, Simpson, Long, Zubrzycki, Foster, Stubbs.

• The same officials whose performances came under severe scrutiny the last time the Knights were live on television will be in charge again tomorrow.

The Knights had three tries ruled out in their last-second home defeat to Barrow a month ago, while the Raiders had a vital try allowed to stand by the video referee as well as being handed a penalty on the final hooter to win the game.

The referee is Chris Leatherbarrow, with Ian Smith the video official.