Stafford Rangers midfielder Tony Dinning is looking increasingly unlikely to be fit in time to return to the squad for the Boxing Day derby at AFC Telford.

The 34-year-old former Wolves player has been signed off work for Christmas after pulling a muscle in the left hand side of his back in a minor car accident eight days ago, and has not trained at all since.

Dinning is hoping to play some part in the festive schedule with a home game against Redditch on Bank Holiday Monday and the return game with Telford at Marston Road on New Years Day also to come but, as it stands, is nowhere near fit.

He said: “I feel a lot less groggy than I did, but I am still struggling I must admit. I am hoping to be involved and I will be at some point over the next three games, but whether Saturday will come a bit too early remains to be seen at this point.

“Because I have not been able to do anything with my back, it has put me back a week or so which is another problem. I am not in agony or anything, but it’s stopping me doing what I want to do. It’s a fitness thing, I have to be at full pelt to come back.”

Dinning is the only player among the two local rivals to have played in the Black Country derby for Wolves, starting in the side that fell to a 1-0 defeat against Albion at the Hawthorns on 17 October 2000.

As a a veteran of 11 Football League clubs over a 16-year career, the seasoned former pro has seen quite a few different derbies, but insists that the excitement level for this one will be the same as any other.

He said: “I have played in the Black Country derby at Albion, it was exciting to be a part of and the feeling will be the same. I live in Stafford so I know what it means to the people round here that we beat Telford.

“If I can’t make it on Saturday, then I should be back for the home game on New Years Day. I don’t want to miss it, that’s for sure.”