THE centre-back position is again causing Denis Smith problems.

Reds’ boss Smith goes into Friday night’s FA Cup first round clash at Port Vale not knowing who will be lining up in his defence.

Andy Holt, who has moved into the back-three in recent months, picked up a knee injury in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Darlington at The Racecourse and joins fellow defenders Paul Warhurst (groin) and Shaun Pejic (knee ligaments) on the sidelines.

Holt yesterday saw a specialist along with midfielder Levi Mackin, another knee injury victim on Saturday, while Dean Bennett (ankle), on-loan Juan Ugarte and Jim Whitley (both knee) make up Wrexham’s seven walking wounded.

Who lines up in defence alongside Dave Bayliss and Dennis Lawrence remains to be seen and though Holt and Pejic are definitely out, Smith will be hoping Warhurst and Bennett will recover in time to face League One outfit Vale.

“Andy and Levi saw specialists,” said Smith today. “Levi will be out a long time, at least two months, while I don’t think Andy has got any chance for Friday.

“Andy will have a scan to see if there is any damage but hopefully it will not be as bad as we thought. We’ll have to wait and see.

“I have got to put a defence out on Friday night and I get another problem after that match because Dennis Lawrence misses our next match against Oxford because he is away on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago.

“But I’ll worry about that then. We are struggling with injuries but we’ll get by.”

Ugarte, on-loan from Crewe Alexandra, would be ineligible to face Vale because manager Dario Gradi does not want his player cup-tied.

And that reason means Smith’s chances of rushing through another emergency loan-signing is likely to be scuppered, though the Reds’ boss have spoken to clubs.

“Who wants to loan a player out to get cup tied at this stage?” said Smith. “If they get injuries, they are in the same situation and I understand that. But I have talked to clubs about things.”

Smith was yesterday left with just 14 senior players for training a tomorrow night’s reserve team match against Rochdale at Buckley Town’s Globe Way has been postponed.

With the important FA Cup tie in mind, Smith said there was little option but to call the game off.

“There’s no way we can play it,” said Smith. “I would not risk any fringe players - if I had any - with the situation we are in at the moment regarding injuries and with the game Friday.

“What happened to the days when we had a settled side and it was same as usual? I have had seasons like that, believe me, and you need a settled side to win things.

“Physio Mel Pejic has been on overtime, it has been ridiculous. I can’t remember what managing a team without injuries was like.

“And the thing is, they are different kinds of injuries which have happened in matches. And then when players are coming back , they need games to get match fit but because of the situation here we don’t have any other option than to put them straight back in.”