DORCHESTER Town boss Steve Thompson admits preparations for the Magpies’ Evo-Stik Southern Premier South encounter at Basingstoke Town tomorrow (3pm) have been made difficult by injuries and absentees.

Thompson’s comment was made in relation to the fact that Dorchester could have six players out.

Ash Pope (knee) and Kingsley Latham (internal bleeding) definitely miss out, while there are doubts over Neil Martin (ankle) and Tom Blair (Achilles).

Thompson’s selection troubles are worsened by the unavailability of in-form midfielder Harry Kite due to obligations with parent club Exeter City and Callum Rose, who will miss two weeks with family commitments.

However, the Magpies’ boss remains hopeful that defender Josh Bailey can return early from osteopubis, a condition affecting the pelvic bones.

He told Echosport: “We’ll assess them. Just speaking to Neil I’m hopeful that he’ll be fit. I’m hoping Josh might be fit to play.

“Harry will miss the game. It’s the one game he’s not allowed to play in. I was aware of that at the start of the season – due to commitments with Exeter City.

“But we live with that when you have such a good player to bring on board, you live with losing him for one game, but it will be a blow, especially the way things are going at the moment.”

With Dorchester sustaining the loss of several key players, Thompson conceded he would take a point if offered one before the contest.

He said: “Any game that we play is tough at the moment with the people we’ve got out and with the way things are going. I expect a very, very hard, tough game.

“If you look at the last four games we’ve drawn two and lost two, so we’re not on a great run.

“We could do with a victory. If you offered me a draw away to Basingstoke with the issues we’ve got at the moment, I’d probably take it. I’m hoping that we can get a few players back soon.”