BURY have been rocked by a major injury headache - just 17 days into the new season.

The Shakers have lost a man a game in their impressive five-match start to life in Division Two, leaving boss Stan Ternent just 16 first teamers to select from for tonight's Coca-Cola Cup clash with Notts County at Gigg Lane.

Definitely without longer term casualties Chris Lucketti and David Pugh, Bury will almost certainly have to plan for tonight's first round second leg decider minus Gordon Armstrong, Ronnie Jepson and Tony Rigby.

It leaves Ternent, whose strong 21-man squad gave him a string of options on the opening day of the season two and a half weeks ago, forced to put his entire pool of senior players on alert. Either Stuart Bimson or Shaun Reid is set to have his first involvement of the season on the bench alongside Andy Woodward and possibly Phil Stant. Although the latter could be drafted in for his first start after making a strong challenge in an impressive 20-minute stint as substitute in the 4-0 thrashing of Bristol City.

Concentrating on tonight's test which begins all square after a 1-1 draw a fortnight ago, Ternent said: "It's important for us to get through, both financially and to keep our momentum going.

"Notts County are one of the fancied sides in our division and are a big club and it will be a real feather in our caps if we can beat them."

County are desperate for goals after failing to score in the two matches since the Bury game and they are expected to give new £100,000 signing Peter Kennedy a full debut.

The left winger, signed from Irish League club Portadown last week, was County's star when he came on at half time in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to York City and will be asked to give his side the vital width they lacked in the first leg.

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