JAMIE Day admits he has his fingers crossed the football authorities will relent and lift the player embargo against his threadbare Welling squad before Saturday’s trip to Staines.

The Wings have been severely hampered in recent weeks by the embargo which prevents them using anyone other than the 16 players involved in the opening day 0-0 draw with Hampton & Richmond Borough.

Welling’s subsequent financial problems, which saw the Park View Road club handed a winding-up petition by HMRC, led to the embargo being imposed and it remains in place despite a 14-week temporary reprieve being granted by the courts.

Day is unable to call upon the services of key trio Lee Clarke, Loick Pires and Anthony Acheampong as a result of the ban because they didn’t feature against Hampton.

However, the Wings chief confirmed all three are raring to go and he hopes they can feature against Staines.

Day said: “We have got injuries at the moment, so it would be ideal from my point of view if the embargo went.

“There have been discussions going on for a couple of weeks now to get it lifted and hopefully it will be sorted by the weekend.

“If not, though, we will just have to carry on as well as we have done up until now because we will be going to Staines to get three points.”

The seriousness of Day’s selection predicament was highlighted by the costly dismissal of skipper Jack Parkinson in last weekend’s 3-1 victory over Boreham Wood.

Parkinson saw red after squaring up to Lee Allinson following a controversial challenge and although the captain is available to lead the side out at Staines, he will commence a three-game ban against Woking on September 18.

Day said: “It definitely wasn’t a head butt but Jack has got to realise you can’t square up to people because as soon as you do there is a good chance you will be sent off.

“This is something he has got to learn from and I told him as much afterwards.”

Jamie Coyle faces a late fitness test before the weekend and Dean Cracknell is set to discover his scan results today, leaving the duo rated as doubtful by Day for Saturday’s game at Staines.