CITY physio Rob Harris put a downer on the night in his programme notes with the news: "Paulo Wanchope wil be out for another five weeks."

That's five more weeks of chopping and changing up front while City wait for their most influential player to return.

With the fine blend of Wanchope and Shaun Goater up front City are unstoppable. Without the pairing they are just not the same.

Wanchope's height, power and pace are absolutely crucial to City's play. He is simply far too good for this division and his presence transforms goal-machine Goater who is far more effective playing off an even bigger man than having to play the target man role.

Without Goater City were hopeless against Wimbledon, fortunate to be playing a terrible Birmingham side and stumbled through scrappy draws with Stockport and Sheffield United.

After one good performance and two bad ones from Darren Huckerby, Kevin Keegan gave Shaun Wright-Phillips a try alongside Goater last night but for all his admirable effort and bravery there was precious little up front to trouble the Blades.

City were the only likely winners and almost clinched the points when Goater crashed a first half header against the bar from their best chance.

Had they got their noses in front it might have been a different story. But Sheffield United, like Stockport and Wimbledon before them, adopted frustration tactics with as many men behind the ball as they could muster.

Keegan summed it up when he told fans not to "rush out to buy the video of the game".

The Blues, and Keegan, have to find a way round the permanent defensive wall teams set up at Maine Road. City will probably be happier away from home where teams have to come out and play. In the meantime City fans will just be counting down the days until Wanchope returns.