Dion Dublin is back in the frame for a start this weekend - in defence or attack. But the veteran's availability is very much down to the decision to leave him out of the starting line-up against West Brom on Monday - three days after the haul up to Hull and back.

Dion Dublin is back in the frame for a start this weekend - in defence or attack.

But the veteran's availability is very much down to the decision to leave him out of the starting line-up against West Brom on Monday - three days after the haul up to Hull and back.

"Down here is a little more difficult - four, five, six hours going up on the bus last Thursday, you are doing the exact same coming back down," said Grant, whose plans for Leicester tomorrow have been wrecked by injury problems to four more players.

"The supporters know that, but these guys are playing a game and then coming into training the next morning, it doesn't give them time for their body to recover.

"That was one of the reasons Dion didn't play at the weekend, because I knew if we got injuries elsewhere there is always a problem for me, because it gives me a defender short and it gives me an attacker short if Dion gets injured.

"So I really can't take the chance. I look back and he probably should have played, but I'd probably be sitting here now saying that Dion Dublin is not available either. In one respect that has been fine, but injuries elsewhere mean we will have to shuffle the pack a little bit."

Youssef Safri and Luke Chadwick are almost certainly out for the rest of the season, while Simon Lappin has a broken thumb and Mark Fotheringham a back problem - leaving Dickson Etuhu the only survivor from Grant's preferred midfield.

"It is alright moaning, but that's reality," he said. "Injuries happen in football - we seem to get too many at the one time, but it is something we can't do much about."

One of Grant's biggest blows this season has been the loss of Robert Earnshaw, who was on 17 goals in 25 Championship starts before he suffered an agonising groin injury in training in January.

His season appeared to be over, but the Welsh hitman is back in training and, once he has passed the test of a contact session with the rest of the squad, could be ready for his first start since the FA Cup win at Tamworth on January 6.

"Earnie is taking part now and again in training, but no contact," said Grant. "He's done a bit of finishing, on his own, but he's getting there.

"He has worked extremely hard and he feels good in himself, which is always important and we have done a lot of extra work in the afternoons with him, on his own, just putting the maximum into him.

"Once he starts getting into contact with the boys that's when you will be able to say he is available.

"For me, he is not the type of player who will need to play in reserve games - it's the time of the season when you have a general fitness anyway.

"He's the sort of guy who I felt if we were to get 10 days proper training in I'd train him and get him involved in the squad no problem."