MATT Groves' injured ankle is likely to keep him out of the Dorchester side for another 10 days at least.

The Magpies' Dr Martens Premier Division game away to Worcester City on September 6 is the comeback target for the former Pompey youngster after an X-ray showed he had not broken any bones.

Groves, who is the highest goalscorer in the current side, has seen less than an hour of league action so far in the new season and is again on the sidelines tomorrow when Dorchester entertain a Chelmsford City side still looking for their first win (3pm).

He was substituted in the second half of the Magpies opening home game against Hinckley United after his foot smashed into the studs of a lunging defender as he crossed a ball from the right wing.

"The ankle was very painful after the game but our physio Geoff Dine thought it was just a soft tissue injury," said Magpies boss Mark Morris. "It started to get easier last week and we thought Matt would be back in the squad for the Cambridge game. But then it started to get painful again and on Saturday the club doctor had a look and decided to take him up to the hospital after the game to get it X-rayed as a precaution.

"Fortunately it showed there is nothing broken or cracked," added Morris.

The 22-year-old Groves has scored 67 goals in 202 appearances for the Magpies since joining them in 1998 after being released by Portsmouth.

Tomorrow Morris is likely to start with the line-up that played throughout Monday's first win of the season against Bath City with Martin Shepherd and Matt Tubbs spearheading their quest for goals.

"I was delighted with the way we responded against Bath after the performance at Cambridge which just wasn't us," said Morris.

"But we can't afford to slacken because you know at this level there will be no easy games. Teams in this division are solid at the back, try to play football and take their chances better. Chelmsford won't be any different because getting a first win will be just as important to them as it was to us.

"But Monday was a massive result and we showed again, as we did against Hinckley and Havant, that we have the players to cause teams plenty of problems. We have the opportunity to do the same against Chelmsford and another win will make the table look a lot better."

* New goalkeeper Les Elsworth could make his debut for unbeaten Dorchester Reserves in their Dorset Premier League game at Wareham Rangers tomorrow.

The former Stourpaine stopper has been away on holiday since playing for the Magpies in a pre-season friendly at Christchurch but returns to challenge fellow newcomer Andy Graves for the number one jersey.

Dorchester Res: Graves/Elsworth, Wilson, S Langrish, Gilbert, Lock, Dovell, Legg, Critchell, Flann, Turner, Byerly, G Langrish, Christopher, Edwards, Brannigan.