SAM Allardyce is facing the painful prospect of being without his influential defender Mark Fish for up to 10 weeks!

The Wanderers' centre-back suffered ankle ligament damage in last night's shock Worthington Cup exit at Macclesfield and could face a lengthy lay-off.

The extent of the injury will only be known after a detailed examination but the manager outlined the worst and best case scenarios of his latest setback when he explained: "If we're lucky he'll be out two or three weeks, if we're unlucky it will be six to ten.

"And that, on top of the the rest of our problems, is a bitter blow."

Wanderers, previously unbeaten this season, are determined to bounce back from their cup shocker - the 3-1 defeat at Moss Rose put them out on a 3-2 aggregate - but Allardyce is concerned that the manpower crisis could finally be taking its toll.

Mike Whitlow (shoulder) and Gareth Farrelly (calf) were missing last night and the Fish blow has compounded his defensive problems ahead of Saturday's trip to Huddersfield, who are also reeling from a Worthington Cup exit having crashed out to Second Division Oldham on a 3-0 aggregate.

"I just hope we can take this defeat on the chin, come out fighting against Huddersfield and take our league performances on from there," Allardyce added.

Fish's retirement after just 21 minutes undoubtedly turned the course of events at the Moss Rose but Wanderers were making no excuses as they fell at the first hurdle of the competition that took them to the semi-finals last season.

"We're always going to miss Fishy because he's such an influential player," skipper Gudni Bergsson acknowledged, "but that's no excuse. We just played badly. Now we have to take stock and make sure we respond well on Saturday."

There will be no charge for admission to Wanderers' reserve team fixture against Stockport at Leigh's Hilton Park ground tonight (ko 7pm). Allardyce has received clearance to play Jamaican international trialist Winston Griffiths on condition that no-one pays to watch the game.