Cambridge play host to Wrexham tomorrow at The Abbey Stadium with Brabin down to the bare bones.

And it is across the midfield where Cambridge have been particularly hard hit.

Wide man Andy Parkinson is out for the season after picking up a cruciate ligament injury in training just days after the U's recorded their opening day victory over Northwich Victoria.

Wingers Courtney Pitt and Felino Jardim are also sidelined with injuries, while midfielder Ben Farrell completes a three-game suspension tomorrow after picking up a red card for a badly timed challenge in the Bank Holiday defeat against Kettering.

Mounting injuries means that Robbie Wilmott and Chris Jones – on loan from Swansea City – both of whom are regarded as frontmen, have lined up on the wing in recent matches.

And Brabin has also endured problems in the right-back position.

Regular right back Dan Gleeson has also picked up an injury so his place in Tuesday night's 1-1 draw at Ebbsfleet went to third year scholar Rory McAuley.

Brabin handed the 18-year-old his debut at Ebbsfleet and the youngster took his chance well, even having a goal disallowed for offside.

However, McAuley was shown a red card in injury time for a foul and begins a three game ban tomorrow.

With Gleeson still out injured, centre-back John Coulson is expected to deputise on the right of defence.

Despite mounting selection troubles, Cambridge are still heading in the right direction under Brabin who, having been previously in charge at Conference North outfit Southport, took over as manager of the Us in the summer.

Jimmy Quinn had steered Cambridge to the Blue Square Premier play-off final last season but he left his job at The Abbey Stadium by mutual consent in June.

Controversially, Brabin brought in Paul Carden as his right-hand man.

Carden was the first of Brian Little's summer signings at Wrexham when the midfielder agreed to join the Reds from Accrington Stanley at the end of May.

But just one month later, Carden pulled the plug on the move.

The former Chester City man had been due to officially join Wrexham when his contract at Accrington expired on July 1, but the 29-year-old, who had a year left on his contract at the Lancashire club, decided to join Cambridge, where he spent the second half of last season on loan, instead.

Management duo Brabin and Carden, who is also captain, had a dream start to their reign as Cambridge won their opening four matches of the campaign.

Northwich Victoria (1-0), Kidderminster Harriers (2-1), Barrow (2-1) and Eastbourne Borough (3-0) were all swept aside as Cambridge took an early lead at the top of the table.

But their 100 per cent start to the campaign was ended with a 2-0 defeat by Kettering at The Abbey Stadium, and the Us have followed that up with two away draws at ten-men Weymouth (2-2) – who recovered from a two-goal deficit – and Ebbsfleet (1-1).

The draw leaves Cambridge in fourth place on goal difference, just one point behind leaders Salisbury.

However, Brabin was happy with Tuesday's point at Ebbsfleet with five players out due to injury or suspension, and others battling with illness.

"It's a good point, especially in view of the injuries we've got," said Brabin, whose side did take the lead before they were pegged back.

"I was disappointed with the goal we conceded but at the same time there are lads playing out there for us who have been on their sickbed so I can't really have a go at them, and overall it wasn't a bad point.

"The way I felt when we were preparing for the game, I didn't know what team I was going to have out there."

One of the players who overcame illness to play was former Wrexham centre-back Phil Bolland.

After being told he was surplus to requirments at Chester City last year, Bolland joined Wrexham on trial before earning himself a short term contract in January.

But when Bolland's deal finished at the end of last season, and Wrexham were relegated, he was one of more than 20 players told their futures lay away from The Racecourse, and he was brought to Cambridge by former Chester team-mate Brabin.

Another former Wrexham player, Lee McEvilly is also plying his trade at The Abbey Stadium, and his goals have helped Cambridge get off to a decent start.

Injuries disruped McEvilly's two-year spell at The Racecourse but the frontman had a decent scoring average.

And McEvilly, who joined Cambridge from Accrington Stanley on loan in January and made the move permanent in the summer, has made a bl;istering start to the present camapign.

McEvilly, who will partner former Chester frontman Mark Beesley in attack tomorrow, is currently the top scorer in the Blue Square Premier with an excellent return of six goals from Cambridge's opening seven matches.