PAUL Arnison is facing injury heartbreak.

The Hartlepool United wing-back has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign after a long-standing knee injury flared up again.

And that means the former Newcastle reserve skipper will miss out if Pool are involved in the play-offs.

"He won't feature again this season,'' confirmed Turner. "He's been suffering with his knee all season and we thought he could see it through until the summer, but he's been feeling it a little bit lately and the specialist has advised him not to play.''

Arnison was out for almost two months with knee trouble after being injured against Blackpool in February, but returned against Southend this month and played three games before breaking down.

"Darren Knowles came in on Saturday and was excellent and we know what we will get from him,'' said Turner. "Now he has the shirt it's up to him to keep up that standard.''

Turner won't be keeping Hibernian's right-back Colin Morton after a two-game trial.

Pool should know before their final game of the season a week on Saturday if fourth place will be enough for promotion after the Football League's disciplinary panel last night revealed that they will reconvene next Tuesday in Leeds to re-assess allegations of financial irregularities at Chesterfield.

The League's board of directors announced on Tuesday they would not ratify the panel's recommendation to dock the Spireites nine points, claiming the punishment was too lenient.

The panel will again be chaired by Gordon McKeag, who was part of the committe that decided on the initial nine-point penalty.

Chesterfield's players again failed to get paid this week, but Turner has sympathy with the troubled club.

He said: "I feel sorry for Nicky Law and his players as they have had a magnificent season which has been spoiled by activities off the field.

"But it is no good taking another five or six points on top of the nine points, as it still gets them promoted. It is looking increasingly desperate for them.''

l Pool's second-string ended their season on a winning note yesterday when they beat Scarborough 2-0 at Victoria Park with goals from Jermaine Easter and Mark Robinson.

Read more about Pool here.