STRIKER Sean Devine will have a second scan on his knee this week as Blues bid to speed up his recovery.

The first scan, on the injury Devine sustained last season, revealed bruising to the bone but Blues are baffled why it's taking so long to heal.

Boss Lawrie Sanchez has resigned himself to being without his top scorer for the first two months of the season and admitted Devine is no better now than he was three months ago.

Sanchez said: 'He's got a bruised bone which is causing him discomfort when he bends his knee. He's walking around with a brace on his leg now which stops him bending it to give it a chance to heal.'

Dave Carroll's injury looks even more serious and some pundits are suggesting it will be Christmas before he returns.

Sanchez said: 'I wouldn't like to put a date on it but it's longer term. We're all guessing when it will be.'

'Without them we've played quite well in pre-season and we have scored goals. We've kept the ball a lot better and looked very good in games.'

Blues have won a pricing war against Barnet and slashed admission prices by £3 across the board for their Worthington Cup first round second leg match at Adams Park on September 5, providing they're bought before matchday.

The Blues took the Bees to the Football League after the Division Three side refused to accept Wanderers' price cuts but the Bees haven't reciprocated for the first-leg.

Sanchez is hoping that Mo Harkin, who missed Tuesday's testimonial with a 'slight back injury' after shooting in training, will return tomorrow.