If Bermuda fans were hoping the inspirational Shaun Goater would lead the battle cry against El Salvador in the return leg of the World Cup qualifying match at National Sports Centre this weekend they may be bitterly disappointed.

As the Reading striker hobbled out of the Custaclan Stadium in San Salvador on Sunday evening, he confessed his chances of playing were "not very good".

"If I'm brutally honest with myself, I'd have to say it's not looking good," said Goater, who suffered a calf strain in training last week and struggled throughout before being replaced by Carlos Smith in the 58th minute.

"I rested for every day last week but I knew from the first minute of the match it wasn't right. I desperately want to play in the return leg but I'd have to say my chances aren't very good."

After testing El Salvador's keeper Santos Noel Rivera with a stinging header in just the eighth minute, Goater was reduced to a containing role in midfield, his mobility severely restricted.

"I thought vocally I might be able to influence the other players and that's what I was trying to do," he added.

"But I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd have to go off. I tried to give it another shot in the second half, but it was no good.

"I need to rest the calf and I just don't think I have enough time to get fit for the next game."

The outlook for goalscorer John Barry Nusum, however, appears more promising with the big striker confident he can recover in time for Sunday's return.

Nusum was reduced to little more than a passenger soon after silencing the home crowd with his terrific 30th minute equaliser and was eventually taken off and replaced by Stephen Astwood after 41 minutes.

But the injury isn't as serious as first thought."It's a groin injury," explained Nusum. "I couldn't sprint, every time I tried to take off it just pulled a little. Hopefully with a little rest this week it'll be ok. I definitely want to play."

Asked whether he considered the goal one of his best, he replied: "lt's got to be . . . in a game like this against El Salvador. I'm very happy."

Meanwhile, Goater's good pal, fellow professional Kyle Lightbourne, who came out of retirement to join the national squad and emerged from the match totally drained but otherwise physically unscathed, said he was relishing the return leg.

"We've given ourselves a fighting chance," he said. "It was tough out there, real tough, but I think on the faster pitch in Bermuda we can turn this around. I think we all know we're capable of winning this match."

Having scored a superb header against El Salvador in a previous World Cup qualifier more than a decade ago, Lightbourne said he would have loved to have repeated that feat but was never afforded the opportunity.

"I wanted to get forward more but I knew with the score at 2-1 we just had to contain them, and I knew what my responsibilities were in midfield.

"Hey, maybe next week!"