York City defender David McGurk has been ruled out for the rest of the season with ankle ligament damage.

Last season’s Press Player of the Year was stretchered off during the closing stages of Saturday’s 2-1 home victory over Newport County and tests have since confirmed that the injury will keep him sidelined until the start of the 2011/12 campaign.

Daniel Parslow is expected to revert to centre-half now for Saturday’s home match with Tamworth, while Liam Darville will switch from midfield to his more natural right-back role.

The sidelining of McGurk, though, leaves City manager Gary Mills with no defensive cover and could mean a recall from his loan spell at Altrincham for Greg Young.

Mills said: “Dave McGurk will not be available for the rest of the season, which is a big blow. We have been solid and not looked like conceding goals and Dave, having missed a few games, had started to look like his old self again.

“We could do with everybody being fit for the final run-in and bringing Greg Young back is a possibility now.

“I will have to think about that this week.”

Mills will send a reserve squad to Northern League amateurs Boldon CA tomorrow night for a fixture to mark the unveiling of the club’s floodlights, which will be named after former City manager and legendary Charlton ’keeper Sam Bartram.

Ex-FA Cup winner Bartram also played for Boldon in his formative years and Mills added: “The lads that have not played an abundance of football will play tomorrow night and I might do as well.

“It’s not a serious game but a few will get a run out and the chance to open up their lungs which they need.

“It’s also nice to be asked to play in a game like this and it’s good for York City to help out other clubs and as many people as you can.”

City have released five of their six second-year apprentices, meanwhile, with Johnny Andrew, Jassim Alali, Khalid Alali, Dan Owers and Jed Vale being told they will not be offered professional terms for 2011/12.

Youth-team skipper Tom Richardson, though has been handed a two-week trial to prove he is worth a deal.

Mills added: “I’ve had to make these decisions sitting with (youth-team coach) Steve Torpey. Tom will train with the first team until the end of the season and then we will talk about his future too.

“In terms of the other five lads, unfortunately you have to do these things. It’s part and parcel of the industry.

“Within our budget, we have constraints on how many players we can afford to develop and we can’t be sentimental. I have feelings like everybody else but get paid for making tough decisions that I hope are the right ones for York City.

“I told them all that I’ve got players playing for me on Saturday that have sat in exactly the same place as they are and been told the same things. I hope they go on to find themselves clubs and play week in, week out at the best level that they can.

“Sometimes you take knocks in life and have to roll up your sleeves and prove people wrong.”