KEVIN BURGESS is back and goes into the starting XI today when Darlington attempt to extend their unbeaten run.

They welcome Worcester City to Heritage Park, a team in similar form of late, having lost only once in six league matches, while Quakers are unbeaten in the same period.

It’s a run of games during which they have had to make do without Burgess, the skipper, who sustained a knee injury at the beginning of last month, since when Terry Galbraith has deputised in the centre of defence.

However, Galbraith returned to left-back last Saturday, when Burgess returned to action sooner than expected – 45 minutes into a 5-2 win over Gainsborough Trinity when the score was 2-2.

He had been named on the bench, having completed just one training session since recovering from his medial ligament problem, but slotted back into the side seamlessly and will be in Martin Gray’s team from the start today.

“He’s massive for us,” said Gray, who is again without Leon Scott, who serves the final game of a three-match ban.

“If you look at our set-pieces, while Kev’s been out we haven’t scored as many goals, but last season he scored around ten goals for us, so he is valuable in both boxes.

“He is a leader, he’s the captain, he’s a winner and it was great to get him back on the pitch.

“He’s kept himself fit and he didn’t look rusty at all. He came on and did what he does well, he led the back four very well, he complements Gary Brown and he’s a winner. He gave us leadership from centre-half.

“He’s been missed but we have coped well without him, we haven’t dropped too many points because players have stepped in and done a good job.”

The only defeat in Burgess’ time on the sidelines came last month, at Lancaster City in the FA Cup, which is the last time Nathan Cartman started a game, but he is in line for a recall today having been instrumental in Quakers’ win seven days ago.

The striker came off the bench and was involved in all three of the team’s second-half goals, scoring once, and Gray admits he has a decision to make on whether he hands Cartman a starting spot.

The manager said: “Nathan came on and made us better. He gave us a good problem, and that’s why we need strength in depth.

“Not only did he get himself a goal, his play in general was good.”

Having been a virtual ever-present since signing from Harrogate RA in January 2015, Cartman has made only two league starts this season, with Liam Hardy preferred to partner Mark Beck.

Gray admitted: “He has found it tough this season because he hasn’t had as many starts as he would’ve wanted.

“The lads who have been playing have been scoring and the competition has been good.

“You can win ten games in a row, it wouldn’t matter to a striker because they want to score goals, it affects their self-belief and their confidence if they’re not playing or scoring.”

Worcester include 40-year-old striker Lee Hughes, the division’s second-top leading scorer on ten goals.

The former West Brom striker was briefly at Oldham when Gray was assistant manager to Dave Penney at Boundary Park in 2009-10.

“He gives them vast experience and quality, so we’ve got to make sure we’re on top of our game going into this fixture,” said Gray.

“We’ve had Worcester watched and they’re a good team.”