BURY'S teenage striker David Nugent is set for another taste of first team action after escaping suspension.

The 17-year-old enhanced his growing reputation with a beautifully taken goal against Darlington last weekend only to face a three-match spell on the sidelines for disputing a linesman's decision in a recent youth team fixture.

But the ban has now been ruled to apply to youth matches only, leaving the youngster available for the trip to Rushden and Diamonds on Saturday.

And manager Andy Preece has warned Nugent, who has already been suspended once this season, to cut out his disciplinary problems if he wants a sustained run in the senior squad.

"He's a very lucky boy," he said.

"He's old enough to know he can't keep doing this. He needs to learn because he nearly missed our next three games and who knows how long it would have taken him to get back in the first team after that.

"Hopefully this will be the catalyst for him to clean up his act."

With on-loan front man Pawel Abbott suspended for the Rushden match for picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, Nugent looks certain to play a major part this weekend.

But Preece would not reveal whether he would start the match.

"He's been playing really well and scored a great goal on Saturday so he's likely to be involved in some way or another," he said.

"We will just have to see how the injury situation looks."

Joining longer-term absentee George Clegg on the treatment table this week are Chris Billy, Matt Barrass and Lee Unsworth.

But Preece was confident his star trio would be fit for their latest must-win fixture.

"Unsy's just feeling his foot a bit but he's managed to train, Matty's having treatment on his knee and Chris Billy's got a knock to his calf," he said.

"Matt Barrass is probably the most doubtful but we are hopeful that all three should make it."