Terry Pashley's players were hoping to play a rearranged game against Tranmere Rovers at the weekend but it was frozen off.

This Saturday the season gets back into full swing when the Football League Youth Alliance restarts with the visit of Blackpool to Gawthorpe - weather permitting.

"I gave the lads a couple of days off over Christmas, Christmas Day and a couple of others, but they have been in training for most of the time," explained Pashley.

"But it has been a bit of a nightmare, especially in the last week when the pitches were covered in frost.

"We have been forced into the gym and then trained in the snow on the Astroturf as well as doing some legwork in the stands.

"Mind you this happens at some time every year so at least we are used to it."

With the return to full fitness of central defender Earl Davis there are just two injury problems for Pashley at the start of 2002.

"Robert Grimes broke his ankle at the start of the season five minutes after coming on as a substitute against Preston but we are now hoping he will play again this season," he said.

"He has worked very hard to get back to full fitness and he has now started running again which is a very good sign for him. The important thing is to keep working hard and build the ankle up again."

The second injured player is the Wales schoolboy international Rhys Carpenter who has had a terrible run of luck with injury and illness since joining the Clarets last October.

"Rhys has a got a back injury at the moment and that means he has still only played 20 minutes for us," explained Pashley.

"It has been frustrating for him but it is the type of injury that just needs rest to make sure he is right again."

It is likely that some of the youth team squad will be in action tomorrow night when the reserve team returns to action after a break for the festive period.

"The squad will be named today and we will see how many we have in it," said Pashley who has been delighted with the way his young players have adapted to paying at a higher level throughout the season.