INTERNATIONAL call-ups are set to deny the Shakers two more players.

Both midfielder Terry Dunfield and central defender Justin Thompson have been picked for the Canadian U-23 squad to take on El Salvador in a two-leg Olympic Games Concacaf qualifying round next week.

The pair are the only English-based players selected for the squad that will be in action in San Salvador on Friday, November 15 and in British Columbia, Canada on Tuesday, November 19.

With on-loan Manchester City midfielder Glenn Whelan due to be missing with the Eire U-20 squad for a few weeks the Shakers squad will once again be stretched to the limit.

Whelan's duty with Eire takes him to the United Arab Emirates for a FIFA youth competition but Shakers boss Andy Preece is hoping he can get the talented youngster back to Gigg Lane once his tour of duty is done late in December.

As for Thompson, he was delighted with his goalscoring debut in Monday night's 2-1 LDV Vans Trophy victory over Oldham Athletic.

The 22-year-old was introduced to the club by team-mate Dunfield and the pair have been good friends since playing for the same junior team at teenagers in Vancouver.

A strapping 6ft 3in, he has recently had trials in Germany with Bundesliga outfit Kaiserslautern and spent some time with Barnsley but the Tykes financial situation made it impossible for them to sign him.

"Monday night was a great start for me," he said.

"I was really pleased with the way things went and to get the winning goal was a bonus.

"Terry told me that Bury are a first class set-up and I agree, I've really enjoyed the three weeks I've been at the club.

Both Thompson's parents are English - his father hails from Oxford and mother from Portsmouth - so the possibility of following in the footsteps of successful Canadian-born England international Owen Hargreaves would seem an obvious aim.

But for now the level-headed Thompson is just happy to get his foot on the first rung of English football.

"Now I am registered at Bury there is an opportunity and it's up to me to take it," he added.

"It's up to the gaffer. All I can do is give it my best shot and if things work out it's a bonus."