STEVE OGIER is facing a real injury crisis ahead of Sunday’s Muratti. At yesterday’s Collins Cup final between St Martin’s and Sylvans – won by Saints after extra time and penalties – four of Guernsey manager Ogier’s squad were on the sidelines watching instead of playing. Island captain Matt Warren joined fellow Sylvan Tom Duff in the stands at the Track while Saints’ Kevin Graham and Dom Heaume also had to be content with spectating.

Already missing for the Jersey match are North striker Simon Tostevin and Sylvans’ centre back Michael Wilson.

Duff has dropped out of the squad while he deals with a mysterious abdominal pain that has forced him out for two months.

The other three are highly doubtful.

Warren has struggled with a knee problem for most of the year. He is hopeful of been able to lead Guernsey out at Foote’s Lane on Sunday, but the signs are not looking good.

‘It’s still my medial ligament and I wanted to rest it before next week,’ he said yesterday.

‘It’s all right and I trained on it on Friday but I can’t kick a ball without feeling it, so it doesn’t bode well for the Muratti. There’s a bit of an injury crisis but we’ll be all right.

‘We’ve got a good squad at the moment. We’ll do fine.’

Graham has also struggled for the last couple of months with a medial knee ligament problem. The 28-year-old centre back returned to action for the Rawlinson Cup semi-final a week last Saturday when he proceeded to go over on his ankle and it immediately ballooned.

He has put his chances of playing at 80%. If he was to play, he would be making his Muratti debut.

‘I’m not doing anything on it for a few days,’ he said.

‘I’m just hoping that it improves over the week. I’ve been doing some work with Mike Thomas and just seeing how things go.

‘I wouldn’t want to say either way but I’m desperate to play obviously. I’ll probably know by Friday if I can play. If selected.’

While Warren and Graham have been doubts for a little while, Heaume’s injury has come out of the blue.

During the island’s friendly with St Martin’s last Tuesday, the midfielder picked up a knock to his left calf and there was an adverse reaction to the ice strapped on to the area for 45 minutes.

He now has a number of nasty burn blisters on his leg and like Graham he has to wait to see whether he will be available.

‘It’s day by day and I’m taking it as it comes,’ he said. ‘I’m having them dressed every day. As soon as the blisters go down I’ll be all right to do stuff.

‘Everyone is dropping like flies.’

In the Collins Cup final, Saints took a 3-0 lead by half time with goals from Ross Yeates (two) and Mark Coutanche as Sylvans were not at the races.

The westerners woke up in the second half and Ryan Tippett and Danny Watts both scored before the former grabbed another three minutes from the final whistle to force the game in extra time.

Saints’ took the lead again through Liam Roffey but Sylvans bounced back again thanks to Tom Strawbridge to force penalties.

St Martin’s goalkeeper Nathan Pattimore lived up to his tag as a penalty stopper specialist, saving three on the trot to guarantee victory.