IT'S always a blow to lose a player through injury but I suspect the loss of the prolific Mark Owen will be felt more than most at St George's Lane.

With 15 goals in 17 games including three hat-tricks, Owen has scored more than half his side's goals this season.

Even with the 24-year-old in top form, City have still found it difficult to put away chances and have consequently lagged behind in the league.

Numerous matches that have been there for the taking have tantalisingly slipped out of Worcester's grasp, leaving them cursing missed chances.

Now of course with Owen out for the season the onus swings on to the shoulders of the remaining members of the team and particularly the forwards in the squad -- notably Phil Stant, Mark Shepherd and Darren Middleton.

The pressure is now going to be on this trio to find the net to try and maintain City's interest in the Dr Martens Premier Division and also the FA Cup.

I'm sure Stant has seen it all before and will be relishing the challenge of taking the goalscoring duties upon his broad shoulders.

He displayed a supreme piece of goal poaching to score the opener against St Blazey on Saturday and his appetite for the game still burns brightly.

But even so it's not going to be easy for City and with Shepherd starting a three-match ban on Saturday, boss John Barton is certainly not holding any aces.

Indeed if Barton pushes Middleton up front it then begs the question who will fill the gaping hole sure to be left by the 22-year-old's absence up front. Middleton has been a revelation in a role coming from deep and has added a fresh dimension to City's attacking options.

Who will replace Middleton and provide that kind of option is another ball for Barton to juggle as he tries to patch up his team.

But all is not doom and gloom and City have already demonstrated fighting qualities that suggests that they are not going to sit around bemoaning the lack of their star striker.

Indeed if anything good can come out of Owen's prolonged absence it is that it might generate, through necessity, more goals from the rest of the team which is what Barton has been striving for.

The need for fresh blood in the squad is self-evident, but the ability of Barton to deliver is hampered by the clubs who are reluctant to let quality players go at this stage of a season.

For that reason his side are going to have to dig deep and come up with the goals to overcome the loss of the deadly Owen, starting in their must win clash with Tiverton Town at St George's Lane on Saturday.