CITY fans will understand Grimsby’s frustration at seeing Charles Vernam out of action.

The former Bantams winger was an influential performer during his time at Valley Parade.

But injuries held him back - and another one will see him miss out on a televised reunion this weekend.

Vernam faces several months out following a serious thigh muscle tear in a recent EFL Trophy tie against Manchester City under-21s.

It was only the 26-year-old’s sixth appearance since returning to the Mariners from Lincoln in the summer. But Vernam needed surgery and will now face a familiar period stuck on the outside looking in.

“We’re all gutted for him as a club and, unfortunately, we’re looking at the new year,” said Grimsby first-team coach Ben Davies.

“He didn’t think it was serious at the time but he had scans and came back fearing the worst. There was a full tear, which is as bad as you can get.”

Vernam, who signed a three-year deal, was one of 12 window recruits for the Mariners.

Boss Paul Hurst did most of his business early on and there was no activity on deadline day.

“We were trying, but what I wasn’t going to do was bring people in for the sake of it,” Hurst told Grimsby Live.

“We’d done some very good business earlier in the window and we were almost at our limit in terms of the budget.

“The reality is that we were in for a couple of players, but then we couldn’t make it happen because the opportunities just got taken away from us.

“That’s the reality of it, we can’t do things the way a couple of clubs in our league can.

“I do feel that it is getting ridiculous in our league and above as well, you see players that have hardly kicked a ball going for large sums of money and it frightens me in truth with regards to the prospects of clubs lower down.”

British Transport Police will step up patrols for the City game, with “increased high visibility” on the route, after trouble on a train following Grimsby’s trip to Notts County last month.