WORKINGTON Town and Whitehaven are down to the bare bones for their second Easter games, following the Good Friday derby at the Recreation Ground.

Town face the prospect of taking on Leigh Centurions at the Zebra Claims Stadium with only 14 fully fit players, while Whitehaven will take their last 17 fit men to Batley.

Missing from the Haven squad travelling to Mount Pleasant will be winger and top try scorer Elliott Miller amid concerns about the injury he suffered in the derby.

Haven director James Robinson said: “Elliott is devastated because he’s had problems with both shoulders before. This time it was a dislocation and although an X-Ray examination showed nothing conclusive he has to go back this week for a scan.

“It really is a major blow to the player and the club. He has been enjoying his rugby at Whitehaven and scoring tries regularly, including on against Town.

“At the moment, even when he just stretched his arms above his head, he has problems in the shoulder. It doesn’t look good.”

Playing two games inside four days, in a demanding collision sport like rugby league, has always had its risks and challenges but with the two Cumbrian clubs carrying small squads and already with players ruled out, the problem are intensified.

Town no longer have the facility of a dual-registration partnership with Wigan while Whitehaven have no-one to draw on from their arrangement with Widnes.

The Championship insist on squads of 19 being released 48 hours before the games and in both cases Town and Haven have had to name players who won’t be involved at all.

Town have had to include Carl Olstrum, who left the Recreation Ground on crutches after limping slowly off with an ankle injury, as well as Declan Hulme, who was not allowed back on after taking a knock to the head.

Jarrad Stack was a third player to leave the field at Whitehaven and who couldn’t have gone back on because of a shoulder injury.

Town had been forced to include Brett Carter on the subs bench even though he wasn’t fit and was never going to play a part in the game.

At least Haven have not had to include Miller in their squad of 19 for the trip to Batley, although prop Ritchie Beaumont and half-back John Paul Brocklebank have both been named.

They are very unlikely to figure, however, as they are still not fully recovered from injuries.

Town coach Phil Veivers has been exploring the possibility of bringing in players on loan but knows he couldn’t have had a worse time to be asking around than at Easter.

But Ryan Verlinden and Callum Philips, who were not able to play against Whitehaven, have been included this time in the 19-strong squad.

Workington Town : J. Murphy, C. Murphy, Hulme, Mossop, Carter, Forber, Doran, Coward, Shackley, B. Phillips, Stack, McAvoy, Olstrum, Verlinden, Gordon, Ritson, Sammut, Whiteley, C. Phillips.

Leigh : Charnock, Higson, Kay, Ridyard, Weston, Hansen, Moimoi, Paterson, Maitua, Acton, Higham, Emmitt, Hopkins, Dixon, Armstrong, Spencer, Reynolds, Hood, Whiting.

Whitehaven : Jouffret, Beaumont, Calvert, Parker, McAvoy, Aiye, Gore, Duffy, Newton, Taylor, Allen, Davies, Riley, Carberry, Brocklebank, Burns, Fox, Holliday, Lucock.

Batley : Reittie, Ainscough, Southernwood, Brambani, Hirst, Blake, Rowe, Walker, Davey, Gledhill, Chandler, Lillycrop, Bretherton, Leek, J. Brown, D. Scott, Cowling, Harrison, A. Brown.