The pressure of firing Manchester City into the Premiership may rest on Shaun Goater's shoulders after the Blues were rocked by the news that fellow striker Paulo Wanchope has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

City play Nottingham Forest today and then face a potential title decider with Wolves on Bank Holiday Monday.

Goater will play both games before sitting out the next against Barnsley due to the suspension he received for his sending off against Stockport County.

City then have just two more matches, away to Gillingham and home to Portsmouth before the end of the term and depending on results beforehand it could be a Goater goal that sends the Blues back to the top flight at the first attempt.

The Bermudian has scored 30 times this season, a record for the player since moving to England, and manager Kevin Keegan will be looking for him to add to that tally following the news about Wanchope, who will have to return to the United States to see a specialist.

He took part in a full training session last Tuesday for the first time for over a month, but his knee injury flared up again and now he has had to admit defeat in his bid to return to the squad.

Wanchope will fly to Colorado tomorrow to undergo tests at the same clinic where the player underwent a second operation last October.

On his return to action in December, he rattled in seven goals in eight starts before his knee swelled up again during City's FA Cup defeat at Newcastle.

"We hope and pray that it is something minor put right quickly so that Paulo can feature in the World Cup," said Keegan. "No one will know until the specialist examines the knee, but whatever the verdict his season with Manchester City is over."

Goater, Jon Macken and Darren Huckerby will now battle it out for the two strikers' berths.

Keegan will be forced into one change for the visit of Forest to Maine Road with Eyal Berkovic ruled out of the two Easter games.

"I think we are in a great position," said the boss of his table-toppers. "But it is only a great position if we go and finish the job off. We can see the tape now and we have to run through it. That is what Saturday is about."