With the start of the 1996-97 soccer season fast approaching one of the clubs expected to challenge for top honours has already been stung by the injury bug.

Perennial powerhouses North Village -- they were second to Vasco in the First Division last season -- will be without the services of two of their more experienced members, including last season's captain Damon Wade and immediate predecessor Elliott Jennings, and possibly also Sheldon Franks.

Wade, a dynamic midfielder/forward, who impressed early in the 1995-96 campaign before hobbling through the second half with an assortment of physical problems, will not be available until at least December.

Jennings, bothered by a knee ailment most of the year, has not completely recovered and it is not known when he might return.

Franks, a quietly effective midfield cog, is not injured. But his future -- sporting and otherwise -- will be decided by a jury as he is currently in prison charged with murder.

Wade confirmed his absence this week, explaining that he would be travelling abroad on business for an extended period from September 6 until December 6, but would have been unavailable regardless as he attempts to rehabilitate from injuries that include problems associated with his knees, hamstrings, quadricep muscles and hip.

He said a misalignment in his hip was the prime cause of the other ailments.

"The misalignment of my hip has caused all kinds of problems,'' said Wade, who played the entire season with a pulled hamstring and was not nearly as effective as previously. "The first three games I played all right and was man of the match, but after that it was all downhill. I was struggling to stay on the field and it was only because I was captain that I did.

"But by no means was I a threat to anybody last season.'' The continuous playing only caused the injuries to get progressively worse and despite the help of regular physiotherapy Wade admitted to being a weary, battered soldier by the end of the season.

Now under the care of a chiropractor and dedicating himself to extensive weight training in a local gym, he's hopeful of a mid-December return, by which time he said he should be at least 80 percent healthy.

"I should be a lot more effective by mid-December than I was during the whole of last season,'' said Wade, who had the hip problem first identified while he was a student at Old Dominion University in North Carolina.

"With the hip and everything being connected it caused my hamstrings to become weak and my quads to become tight and now my lower back is terrible. By the end of the season I was sore all over, just barely making it through game to game.'' But even without his services as well as those of Jennings and Franks, Wade believes the Red Devils will challenge for honours this season.

"Judging from last year's performance I would have to say we will. We used 35 players last season and I just got through saying how I wasn't as effective as I used to be, so I was just a player and Elliott was out for long periods.

"I don't think that any one player played a significant role except for, say, Michael Hansey and Derek Bell and they both should be back, so I have to say that we still have a chance of being league champions.

"As long as we adequately prepare we'll be fine.'' Likely to come more into the mix are the likes of youngsters Kuma Smith and Kaiwon Dill, while Leon Raynor, used mostly as a substitute last season, should also get an extended run.

Otherwise the club will rely on veterans such as Bell, Hansey, Kevin Grant and Sean Dill.

Village finished with a 12-6-0 record with 42 points, two less than champions Vasco, but were the only side to go unbeaten throughout the entire league campaign.

SIDELINED -- Damon Wade (left) and Elliot Jennings will both miss North Village's opening games