YORK City boss Nigel Worthington expects Femi Ilesanmi and Jake Hyde to be back in pre-season action at the weekend.

Both players limped out of last night's 2-1 friendly defeat to Nottingham Forest after suffering ankle injuries but Worthington made light of both incidents and demanded that the two summer signings "grit their teeth" and carry on if they encounter the same problems during the up-and coming SkyBet League Two season.

International strikers Jamie Mackie and Simon Cox cancelled out Tom Platt's 50th-minute opening goal for the Minstermen with Worthington quick to put City fans' minds at ease regarding the condition of Ilesanmi and Hyde afterwards.

The Minstermen can ill afford any more players in the treatment room with only 16 professionals available for selection last night and Worthington said: "It's a couple of rolled ankles and I don't have much sympathy with injuries like that.

"Any footballer has just got to deal with things like that and I expect them both back on Saturday against Sheffield United. We will be going into war in a week and a half's time and I would expect them to stay on then, grit their teeth and have a never-say-die attitude."

Midfielder Luke Summerfield is 50-50 for the final warm-up match against the Blades having missed the last three friendlies with a minor knee problem but the City chief is not actively seeking to strengthen his squad prior to the 2014/15 season's curtain-raising trip to Tranmere a week on Saturday.

He added: "No manager ever stops looking, but I'm more than happy with our numbers. Pars (Dan Parslow) is on his way back having played 45 minutes with the youth team this week and he will get another 45 minutes with the youth team next week."

Following 2-0 defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Hull in pre-season, Worthington was again left to reflect on the class of higher-league opposition in front of goal following Forest's victory.

Delivering his verdict on last night's display, the Bootham Crescent boss said: "I was very pleased with the performance. We created a number of chances but their finishing just showed the difference in the two teams.

"Championship players get half a chance and it ends up in the back of your net. We had half chances and, sometimes, we didn't hit the target with them.

"But our attitude, work ethic and some of our play was very good and I was really pleased with our shape."

Worthington also pointed out that Platt's goal was the reward for his pre-season efforts.

"Somebody told me about 15 months ago that Tom Platt can scores goals and now I believe them," the City chief initially joked before pointing out: "He has played really well in pre-season. I've been delighted with him and it's now about keeping that going."