JUST six games into the season and Worcester City's treatment room is already overflowing with several first teamers nurturing injuries.

And no sooner do physios Archie Richards and Martin Obrey get them patched up then another is waiting to take their place.

All this goes to prove two things - that the Dr Martens League Premier Division is a competitive league and that the role of people like Richards and Obrey is vital, a fact recognised by City manager, John Barton.

"Both Archie and Martin have worked their socks off and have been a Godsend to the team," he said.

Barton is now faced with getting several players, including Paul Carty, Ian Cottrill, Chris Greenman and Danny McDonnell, up to match fitness after they have missed large chunks of pre-season and the season proper.

And with the demands on players ever-greater, the twice weekly training sessions are no longer enough in some cases, according to Barton.

"With injured players there is a certain necessity for them to top up the twice weekly sessions with additional work in order to reach fitness," he said.

Two gruelling fixtures a week push the players' bodies to the limit and Worcester's cause is not helped by their traditional Monday night home fixture which gives players just 48 hours to recover.

Toss in suspensions and injuries and it is amazing that Barton can even get a team out on certain occasions.

Indeed for Moor Green's game, youth development officer, Ray Woods, and youth team player, Lee Goodman were both on the bench and although both are talented it was an illustration of how injuries have ravaged Barton's squad over the opening month of the season.

But it has also created openings in the side and Jamie Hyde has stepped into Ian Reed's place on the left and put into two sterling performances and can count himself unlucky he did not get on the scoresheet in Monday's match.

Worcester travel to Merthyr Tydfil on Tuesday, while the youth team entertain Bashley in the FA Youth Cup on Monday.