YORK City Knights appear to have only 16 fit and available players for Sunday's showdown with Hull KR - and that includes the one-off return of boomerang boy Mark Stewart.

The Aussie utility star played his last game for the Knights in the home game against Gateshead a month ago before quitting to return Down Under.

However, he has yet to fly out and in the meantime has agreed to help his former team-mates in their time of crisis.

His temporary return will boost playing numbers but coach Richard Agar still faces an uphill battle to put out a full complement of players for Sunday's eagerly-awaited Arriva Trains Cup semi-final.

Said Agar: "It doesn't take a genius to work out we're struggling. But we've been in this situation before and times of adversity have brought the best out in us."

Stewart has not trained in the last month but Agar said: "We probably caught him at the right time and he was happy to come back.

"He's doing it for the boys. He's obviously in preparation for going home and I dare say he's had a few weekends enjoying himself.

"But he's prepared to do it for the players and that's very admirable."

Agar is already without cup-tied loanees Richard Wilson and Johnny Wainhouse, the suspended Alex Godfrey and long-term injury victims Chris Smith and Jim Elston.

In addition, fears that Damian Ball suffered ankle ligament damage against London Skolars on Sunday have been confirmed - though doctors hope he will not be out as long as eight weeks - while Dan Briggs, who pulled a hamstring against Skolars, and Mick Ramsden, whose ankle injury has kept him out since the quarter-final three weeks ago, are rated extremely doubtful.

Agar can only choose from already-registered players to make up the bare 17, but departed trio Danny Seal, Joe Helme and Rich Hayes are unlikely to turn out. Seal is getting married this weekend, Helme still has fire service commitments and Agar does not want to risk Hayes' shoulder injury, which forced the prop star to retire.

Agar's one other option is Tom Andrews but he has so far been unable to contact the young second-rower, who was forced to leave the club last month due to work commitments.

Agar himself and development officer Jason Ramshaw, who both hung up their boots last season, are not registered players.

"Obviously it will change next week. Johnny Wainhouse and Richard Wilson will be back and injuries might have eased," said Agar.

"It tends to happen in cup games when one or two are cup-tied, and it's happened purely by coincidence that we've always ended up with injuries around cup games.

"It's unfortunate but we've faced these situations before. We're now going to have to put on our best performance of the season to win."

Updated: 10:30 Thursday, June 24, 2004