WINCHESTER City are another man down for Saturday’s FA Cup first qualifying round trip to Frome Town (3pm).

Tuesday’s 1-1 Southern Challenge Cup draw with Gosport Borough had a double sting in the tail with the Citizens beaten on penalties and diminutive wideman Jake Rawkins ending up in hospital with a dislocated shoulder.

Thankfully there was no ligament damage and the shoulder was popped back in, but manager Craig Davis anticipates that Rawkins, a summer signing from Bemerton Heath Harlequins, will be out for “a few weeks.”

“The good thing about Tuesday was that we gave debuts to nine youth team players and we only lost on penalties to a full-strength Gosport side from the league above,” said Davis.

“We rested 11 players from Saturday and, unfortunately, the one first-team player who did play got a dislocated shoulder.

"It’s not a bad one. They popped it back in and it just needs strengthening up now.

"Two of the lads, Prycey and Kinger (Ryan Pryce and Danny King), went with Jake to hospital and sat with him, which is a measure of how close the squad is.”

With Rob Carr still on honeymoon, Liam Gilbert injured and Oli Bailey suspended, the Citizens have four players missing for the trip to Badgers Hill.

They have made a new signing this week, welcoming rangy midfielder George Short back to the fold, but he is currently getting over a groin problem sustained with his former club Bracknell Town.

“George won promotion with Slough and again with Bracknell last year. He’s a local lad who lives in Winchester and he was here before (when Paul Masters was manager), Davis explained.

“We tried to sign him last year, but he stayed with Bracknell.

“He’s had a lot of trouble with his groin playing on the Bracknell 3G.”

Frome have won two matches on the bounce following a poor start to the Evo-Stik Premier South campaign, but the Citizens will travel in good heart.

They are sitting second, unbeaten in the Evo-Stik Division One South.

“We watched Frome last weekend and they play a lot of good football,” said Davis.

“They’ll be favourites, being at home and in the league above, but we’ll go there full of confidence.”

AFC Totton have no game on Saturday, while Blackfield & Langley head for Barnstaple Town in the Evo-Stik Division One South.