YORK City captain Sean Newton is set for a return to full training tomorrow as he closes in on a return from injury.

Newton has been unable to feature for York since suffering a knee injury in City’s 4-0 defeat at Gloucester City in the second week of the season.

The skipper’s absence has been keenly felt in the backline where midfielders like Akil Wright, Paddy McLaughlin and Olly Dyson have regularly been forced in as cover.

A recall in time for this weekend’s Vanarama National League North home game with Chester appears to be too soon for Newton, but his resumption of training will give greater cause for optimism surrounding his return to the pitch.

“We’ve got at least the same options, touch wood,” manager Steve Watson said of Tuesday’s FA Cup replay win over Morpeth Town.

“Sean Newton has been doing a lot more (training) and stepping it up. Hopefully he won’t be as far away as we thought originally.”

Newton himself reported he will be back to full training tomorrow, while Watson said once that happens "it’s just a case choosing the right time to dip him back into the first-team environment.

“We’re hoping that Matty Brown will train with us on Friday.

“But the two centre halves (Wright and Sam Fielding) have had very good performances and the goals (conceded) have not been defensive errors, it’s been dealing with balls in the box.

“Until we can choose from four or five defenders that are actually out-and-out defenders and then you’re midfielders can challenge the midfielders for places, then we won’t be where we want to be.

“But there’s nothing we can do about it, we just have to get on with it.”

Watson also went on to confirm that Josh King remains absent for personal reasons.

“It will be another couple of weeks I think,” he said of the defender.

“I think that Browny and Newts should be back well before Josh.

“Scotty (Barrow) is (a) longer-term (injury), which is why we’re still trying to look for options at bringing someone in for a month.

“But to bring a young lad in would be to stop the progression of Jack (Degruchy) and Lewis (Cunningham).

“If we did bring someone in, it’d be someone that would be ready to play, somebody that is experienced and somebody who can play at this level without it being a gamble.”

While Watson remains without players at the back, he has fewer concerns up front, particularly following Kurt Willoughby’s hat-trick against Morpeth.

“If you speak to any striker, they’ll tell you that goals build confidence and strikers are confidence players,” said the boss.

“I thought his second goal was his best because I thought he held his run well. But they were three clinical finishes.”