RONNIE MOORE admits Michael Duckworth will be a big miss for Hartlepool United.

The right-back is facing around a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury suffered in the midweek Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie with Sheffield United which Pools lost on penalties.

He was replaced by Josh Nearney on Tuesday, but the debutant has also picked up an injury, which is likely to see Carl Magnay – himself back from a knock suffered last weekend against Carlisle – at right-back on Saturday.

"Ducky has been showing a bit of form, he can be a helluva player for us,’’ said Moore. "He gets forward well and has a little bit of pace.

"That was a tremendous tackle but he's done his hamstring. But we can't do much about it.

"Josh came on and did reasonably well but he's then gone and got an injury in the reserves.

"It's a little problem we must solve.

"Magnay doesn't particularly like to be there [right-back] but he it a lot there for Grimsby last season.

"If that's all you've got that's it, we have to go with what we have at this present time.’’

Harry Worley has recovered from an ankle injury, but Trevor Carson (toe), Matthew Bates (Achilles), Brad Walker (thigh), Billy Paynter (hamstring) and Michael Woods (ankle) have all been out of late.