Football: Injuries mar City success

Manchester City could pay a heavy price for the victory they pray will be the turning point of their nightmare season. Their new skipper, Kevin Horlock, and the midfielder Georgi Kinkladze are both doubtful for Saturday's home match with Wolves.

City achieved only their second away win of the season at West Brom on Tuesday night - the first being at leaders Nottingham Forest - but lost both key players with injuries.

Horlock, captain for the first time after Kit Symons was relieved of the skippers' armband 24 hours earlier because of fans' abuse, was injured after 35 seconds.

The midfielder was carried off with a knee injury following his first tackle, and will receive constant treatment in an effort to play on Saturday. Kinkladze limped off near the end with thigh and ankle problems.

Alan Hill, City's assistant manager, said: "Both must only have 50-50 chances of playing. It will be 24 hours at least before we have a better idea, but they are both a worry for us."

City will not consider the problem of who is to be the next captain until Horlock is ruled out. Nobody took the armband at the Hawthorns. "Somebody should have done so officially but it got overlooked,'' Frank Clark, the manager, said. ``I hope that doesn't mean they will take the three points off us. Thankfully, we had 11 skippers out there."

The result and performance was in sharp contrast to the defeat at their neighbours, Stockport, last weekend.