Phil Parkinson is hopeful Andrew Davies can shrug off his latest injury blow and play his part in City’s pivotal month.

Davies sees a specialist today about the tight calf that flared up during Saturday’s loss to Stevenage.

It represents more frustration for the key defender, who recently missed nearly four months following knee surgery.

It is thought to be similar to a problem that troubled Davies towards the end of last season and Parkinson is confident the hospital tests will confirm nothing more serious.

With a hectic run of games coming up, the City chief is keeping his fingers crossed that any further spell on the sidelines will be kept to a minimum.

Parkinson said: “It’s a nerve problem from his back. It’s not the muscle; the issue is with the nerve when his calf tightens up.

“It’s nothing too serious and something I feel we can resolve. We’ll probably know more today.

“It’s one that comes and goes for him. He had it last year around the same time.

“It just tightened up in the warm-up at Chesterfield last season and he couldn’t play. We thought we had got over that but it’s something we’ve sorted out before and I don’t think it’s a major problem.”

The absence of Davies would further stretch City’s defensive resources at a time when they are wary of being dragged into a survival fight at the wrong end of League One.

Their record as a team without him in the heart of the back four is poor.

City won just once and kept one clean sheet in the 17 games Davies missed from the start of October. On his return, three of his first five appearances featured shut-outs, including the wins over Port Vale and MK Dons.

Parkinson is expected to chase up a left back on loan this week because one of the two central defenders who have reluctantly job-shared in James Meredith’s absence – Matthew Bates and Carl McHugh – will be required back in the middle.

Matt Taylor, like Meredith, is still wearing a protective boot after his foot injury so he remains out of the equation.

With Tuesday night games in three of the next four weeks, City can ill afford to lose any more from the squad.

Parkinson added: “We are going to need everybody but unfortunately Matty Taylor’s still not right.

“He’s two or three weeks off being fit which is frustrating for him and for us.

“We let Luke Oliver go because we had Matty and wanted to give him a chance. He hasn’t really had that since he’s been here.

“But he got injured almost the same week Luke went. It leaves us short, so we’ve got to make sure Andrew Davies is right.”

Meanwhile Valley Parade season-tickets for next term are now on sale for the same prices. The current deal will run until Saturday, May 31.