A crippling injury list is threatening to derail Lewes' title charge.

The Rooks will be without four regulars for Saturday's trip to play-off hopefuls Bath City while another two players are extremely doubtful.

With Charley Hearn returning to Grays Athletic this week following the completion of his one-month loan manager Steven King was left with just 11 fit players, including two goalkeepers.

The Lewes boss is trying to sign two new faces on short-term loans to cover for the missing players.

However, the preparations for a game which is hugely important in the championship race are far from ideal.

Even if King brings in two players, the Rooks may not be able to fill their bench as they try to preserve a four-point lead over Eastbourne Borough at the top of the table.

The players definitely out include left winger Dale Binns, who suffered ankle ligament damage in last Saturday's 1-0 win against Thurrock and could be missing for three weeks.

Jean-Michel Sigere, who scored the winning goal against Thurrock, and Lewis Hamilton are each ruled out with a hamstring injury while Leon Legge is sidelined with a dead leg and a toe problem.

Jay Conroy (groin) and Simon Wormull (ankle) are rated 60-40 to make the trip but Adam Drury is fit to return after a foot injury.

In addition, Jamie Cade and three youngsters - Steve Elliott, Stefan Cox and third choice goalkeeper Stuart Robinson - are currently out on loan but cannot be recalled under the terms of their deals to ease King's problems.

Four of the injuries were sustained in Wednesday's Sussex Senior Cup semi-final defeat against Albion Reserves.

King said: "It is an absolute nightmare, the worst I can remember.

"Contrary to what people think we haven't got a big squad and we have also lost Paul Kennett recently.

"We have Jamie Cade and the other lads out on loan but I cannot recall them in the first 28 days of their loans.

"To have one or two players out is something you have to deal with but to have five or six out is really bad, particularly with the calibre of players we are talking about.

"The Brighton game came at the wrong time for us, picking up four injuries from a squad which was already depleted.

"I just hope it doesn't upset what we are trying to achieve here.

"Last year we had a lot of injuries in the first half of the season and you can see what it did to us. When we got everyone back we only lost something like two games in 22 in the second half of the season."

The injuries will not just affect tomorrow's game but also Tuesday's tough trip to Braintree, who are just six points off the play-offs despite being 11th in the table.

Bath are currently two points off the play-offs in sixth place but have two games in hand on the team immediately above them, Fisher Athletic, who play Eastbourne Borough tomorrow. Bath have won just two of their last seven games but proved worthy opponents when they lost 1-0 at Lewes in December.

In 16-goal Dave Gilroy they have a striker who poses a real threat to any team.

BATH v LEWES AND BOROUGH v FISHER ATHLETIC - FULL COVERAGE IN THE SPORTS ARGUS ON SUNDAY AND THE ARGUS ON MONDAY