DAVID CUFFLEY City boss Peter Grant is facing a new selection headache ahead of tomorrow night's Carling Cup third round tie at Manchester City.

DAVID CUFFLEY

City boss Peter Grant is facing a new selection headache ahead of tomorrow night's Carling Cup third round tie at Manchester City.

Full-back Adam Drury, pictured, joined the injured list ahead of Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Wolves, pulling out before the game because of a sore back.

Three red cards in two matches have also severely reduced Grant's options for the game at the City of Manchester Stadium (7.45pm).

Dion Dublin will be serving the second game of a three-match suspension for his dismissal at Charlton, while skipper Jason Shackell starts a three-match ban for his straight red card at Wolves, and midfielder Julien Brellier is banned for one game after being dismissed for two yellow card offences at Molineux.

Luke Chadwick missed the Wolves game with hamstring trouble and long-term casualties Jimmy Smith and Mark Fotheringham are still out of action.

Grant had no complaints about referee Steve Bennett's double dismissal, however.

He said of Shackell's exit: "You cannot go and challenge like that with your foot up, we understand that in the modern day game. Whether he hits him or not, it doesn't matter. And Brellier just summed up the afternoon. I have no qualms with that."

The City boss even suggested, with an element of gallows humour, that they improved with just nine men on the field.

"We played better - I was hoping he'd send another one off," he said.