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Macclesfield have a series of injury problems ahead of the visit of the Bulls on Saturday.
Midfielder Lee Bell has been ruled out for at least six weeks after a cartilage tear was confirmed in a knee, while Hamza Bencherif's fractured ankle is now expected to rule him out for the season. Shaun Brisley is suspended after being sent off last week, while striker Ricky Sappleton and midfielder Ross Draper are both struggling to be fit.
Boss Keith Alexander has told the local press that his young side have to start showing their worth: "How the players react to the second half of the season will tell me a lot about them. I've been saying that these are still young lads but now they've had 20-odd games and they're not young in terms of a football team anymore. They've got to go out there and start playing and start getting some points on the board."
One player expected to play on Saturday is John Rooney. The younger brother of Wayne is attracting a number of scouts and Alexander told the BBC: "People are looking at him every week. We will do well to hang on to him in January and I would be surprised if my phone is not red hot."
Youth team coach John Askey also spoke to the BBC: "John has got a fantastic touch, that and his passing ability is the best I have seen for someone of his age. Then there is his awareness - in terms of his footballing brain he is streets ahead of a lot of other players."
Macclesfield are favourites for the game with 13/8 available, while the Bulls are a best-priced 9/5. The draw is 12/5.
