Apart from long-term absentee Leon McKenzie and the worrying delay over Jason Shackell's ankle injury, Worthington is without African Nations Cup participant Youssef Safri for the next couple of weeks at least, depending on Morocco's success.
Now star striker Dean Ashton looks unlikely to play any part in this afternoon's crunch clash with fellow play off hopefuls Watford. The record signing, linked with a multi-million pound switch to the Premiership, has not trained all week after aggravating a groin injury at Plymouth's Home Park last Saturday. The same niggle kept him out of the FA Cup defeat to West Ham a week earlier.
On the plus side, City welcome back Paul McVeigh from suspension. The Northern Ireland international has been on a vintage run of goalscoring form and is likely to replace Ian Henderson in the three-pronged attack. Andy Hughes will also come into contention for a place in midfield after recovering from a broken cheekbone. Hughes returned as a substitute at Plymouth and played the first 45 minutes of the reserve team's 5-0 reverse against Spurs in midweek.