TWO freak training ground accidents could affect Saints' line-up for tomorrow's clash at Aston Villa.

Goalkeeper Paul Jones was hobbling about the Staplewood training ground yesterday after twisting his knee while gathering a ball. He rates himself 50-50 for the trip to Villa Park.

And club captain, Jason Dodd, is also struggling with a sore ankle picked up in training on Tuesday after challenging for the ball with Fabrice Fernandes.

"The ankle is as sore as anything," admitted Dodd. "If the game was now I would really be struggling. I'm taking some painkillers, and I'll have a better idea today how I am feeling."

Jones, whose right knee was strapped heavily, was having a scan yesterday to determine the extent of his injury. Neil Moss, who has yet to start a game this season, is standing by.

Jones said he would be bitterly disappointed not to figure in tomorrow's final away trip of the season. So far only he and Wayne Bridge have featured in all 36 league and four cup games this term - a total of 3,600 minutes of football.

"I really don't know how it is going to go at the moment," said Jones, speaking after training yesterday. "Right now it is not very good and I will have to wait and see if it can settle down.

"We were practising crossing and I was going to my left but the header went back the other way. I turned and twisted and managed to push it round the post but I felt something go.

"I knew straight away that something was up and I stopped immediately. I have had two previous knee operations so I knew I had done something to it.

"I am hoping it will settle down, I can pop a few painkillers and carry on but the trouble is that there is not much leeway ahead of the game.

"If I had done it on Monday then I would have had more chance to recover but I will see how it feels tomorrow. Hopefully I stopped quickly enough and, if it feels better then I might give it a go in training.

"But I will know more after I have had a scan. There can't be much cartilage left but it might be that I will need a bit removing. But that should be a fairly minor thing which would only take a couple of weeks to heal.

"It is disappointing. Bridgey and I are the only two who have played all the games and it would have been nice to have gone right through the season."

Jones played in all but three league matches last season, but the season before he was troubled by a back injury towards the tailend of the campaign which meant he missed the last seven games.

Marian Pahars is definitely out of tomorrow's match. He is struggling with a groin injury picked up during the second half of the 1-0 defeat at home to Everton last Saturday.

"It's not good right now," he said yesterday. "I'm definitely not playing Saturday but I hope to start running next week. At least we have got two weeks until the Newcastle game so I should be fit then."

With Chris Marsden missing because of problems with an ankle/calf injury and Matthew Oakley ruled out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury, it means manager Gordon Strachan has plenty of reshuffling to do ahead of the match.