Injury-ravaged Darlington travel to Mansfield today hoping to avoid defeat against a side third in the table. But with most of the first choice defence unavailable, it's going to be a very tough task.

Just when it seemed the injury crisis had peaked, more problem arrived at Feethams yesterday when it was discovered Craig Liddle had cracked a bone in his ankle, while Mark Ford has a groin strain.

Liddle was already ruled out by a one-match ban, and although the crack is not thought to be related to the ankle break which ruled him out for three months earlier in the season, the captain could still be sidelined for up to six weeks.

With Gary Pearson (hamstring) and David Brightwell (calf) already out, and both being rushed back in the hope of facing Hartlepool on Tuesday, Tommy Taylor's injury-prone squad seems to lurch from one disaster to another.

Andy Collett and Simon Betts are already ruled out, which means of Taylor's first choice back five, including the goalkeeper, only Paul Heckingbottom is available.

To compound the problems, Taylor has witnessed two different right-backs - Mark Kilty and Phil Brumwell commit errors in the last two games which have both led to goals.

After the Cheltenham game on Tuesday, Taylor despaired: "Apart from Heckingbottom, I don't have a clue who is going to play in defence."

He admits to being down to the bare bones and the side has almost picked itself.

"I've never seen anything like it," he admitted. "At Orient I always had four, two played and two in reserve - but this is unbelievable."

Although he's keeping his team selection a closely guarded secret, it seems inevitable that he must choose from Adam Reed, David McGurk, Neil Maddison and Steve Harper for the right-back and central-defensive voids.

Paul Campbell looks set to come into contention, having been out of the frame for most of the season, despite scoring at Halifax and Kidderminster.

Taylor said: "He's the only one out of all the midfielders I have that is able to get forward and score a goal.

"He hasn't complained at all while he's been out of the team, none of them have.

"The reason I've not been able to play him is because I don't have someone who can sit in midfield and defend because you need someone like that if Campbell is going to go bombing off up the pitch.

"Campbell and (Mark) Convery don't defend properly, but they're learning."

If Tuesday's defeat at home to Cheltenham didn't finish off Darlington's play-off hopes, this afternoon's clash with Mansfield promises to do exactly that.

The Stags, who've lost just one of their last ten home games, won 4-1 at Lincoln on Tuesday, and they did it without leading scorer Chris Greenacre, who was serving a one-match ban.

The 17-goal striker, who has been tracked by a number of higher division clubs, returns today and he'll be partnered in attack by former Motherwell striker David Kelly, who played for both Newcastle and Sunderland in the 90s.

Not many Third Division players can boast of playing against both Rangers and Celtic this season.

Indeed, Kelly scored against Rangers in December and was booked in the defeat at Parkhead last month. The 36-year-old arrived at Field Mill two weeks ago after his contract at Fir Park was cancelled and today's game will be his third start for Mansfield and he's still looking for his first goal.

* Leyton Orient striker Iyseden Christie is to train with the Quakers on Wednesday and Thursday. The O's originally declined to let Christie join Darlington until after the two sides meet later this month, but chairman Barry Hearn relented and contacted Taylor to let the Coventry-born forward spend two days in the North-East.

* Cash-strapped Bury are just two weeks away from extinction, according to joint chairmen John Smith and Fred Mason.

The 117-year-old club could be forced out of existence when a court case begins on March 4, with a proposed takeover seemingly doomed and creditors demanding repayment of a £1m mortgage.

The club's board have now appealed to supporters to turn out in numbers for the next two matches in a bid to help the Second Division strugglers survive.

''We are trapped in a one-way alley with bullets flying all around us,'' Smith told the Bury Times.

''This isn't scaremongering, this is the truth.

"We have just two weeks to save the Shakers.

"We are asking for local people to rally round because this could be their final chance to watch professional football in this town.

Read more about the Quakers here.