JERSEY have major injury headaches ahead of their crunch clash with Guernsey at Springfield tomorrow. The inter-insular rivals meet for the first time ever in the FA Carlsberg National League System Cup, with both sides bidding to embark on a journey that could ultimately take them on a European tour.

Encouraging news for Steve Ogier and his Sure Mobile Guernsey Priaulx League squad is that Jersey’s best striker, Ross Crick, is ruled out of the match with a pulled hamstring.

Dave Kennedy, the manager of the Coca-Cola Jersey Football Combination team, is sweating on the fitness of several other key players.

Joel Speight, the U18 and U21 captain, with a broken wrist, and striker Paul Aitken with a serious ankle injury, will definitely be missing.

Jersey are already without four players who won the Muratti – goalkeeper Jimmy Styles is travelling, Peter Vincenti is contracted to Millwall until Christmas while Ashley Dodd and skipper David Brodie are ineligible due to their former professional contracts.

From Kennedy’s initial 18-man squad only 11 were fit enough to train earlier this week.

‘At this stage of the season to have an injury list as long as that is almost unbelievable,’ said Kennedy.

Other players will have to be drafted in if they don’t make it – they could include some youngsters with the U21 Muratti in November in mind.

‘We have a number of players we will keep an eye on. We have a very good core of players we can call on as Jersey football at this moment in time is producing a number of very good players. We have every reason to be confident,’ said Kennedy.

Jersey is taking the competition seriously.

‘It’s a top priority for us. It’s a national competition in which both Guernsey and Jersey will want to do well. The fact it’s against our rivals adds a bit of spice to the game. I’m sure both sets of supporters will be just as passionate about this as any other Jersey-Guernsey game.’

‘It’s a cracking draw for the Channel Islands and I’m sure because it’s Jersey v. Guernsey, we will get a large and vocal crowd,’ he said.

He was sure Guernsey would be very well organised and insisted he had a lot of respect for coach Steve Ogier.

Ogier does not have any injury worries ahead of the match and all the squad he initially selected trained on Monday, with the exception of Ross Allen and Jon Veron, who were playing for Rangers.

‘Any game against Jersey is important. With us not entering the South-West Counties this year, it takes on more importance to get a result. With it being a knock-out competition we want to go as far as possible and it gives us more games,’ said Ogier.

Last year Guernsey suffered heartache when they bowed out of the competition at the semi-final stage to Cambridgeshire in a penalty shoot-out.

‘It’s a game we felt we should have won and have only ourselves to blame. All the boys know we could have won that game in 90 minutes,’ said Ogier.

He ranks the competition as only second to the Muratti in terms of priorities for the season.

‘It seems to me in the recent past in Murattis that Springfield always seems to conjure up an exciting game.

‘The games seem to be more open and entertaining in comparison to when we have played Jersey at Foote’s Lane where they have been poor in quality and entertainment. Sometimes you would not think it was the same teams playing,’ he said.

North youngsters Kyle Stone and Craig Young are in the frame for a senior island debut.

‘Whatever team we put out, I’m happy with what I’ve got. We will have a real good go, try to take the game to them, get on the front foot and try to win the game,’ said Ogier.

He will name the team after tonight’s training session.

‘We have got plenty of permutations, especially going forward. We are going to play an attacking game if we can.’

The third national inter-league competition has attracted a record 38 entries.

The winners represent England in Europe.

Tomorrow’s game kicks off at 2pm. Admission is £5 for the grandstand and £2 standing.