WREXHAM manager Denis Smith has told neighbours Chester City to put up or shut up amid continued speculation that Deva Stadium boss Ian Rush is keen to sign Dragons duo Steve Roberts and Hector Sam.

Chester chairman Stephen Vaughan said earlier this week that he was ready to talk to the cash-strapped League One club about the availability of players, but Racecourse staff insist that no formal bid has been received for any member of the current playing staff.

And Smith, who says there is a well-established procedure in place, yesterday confirmed he had spoken to his Chester counterpart.

"To be perfectly honest, we could report Chester to the Football League for what in effect is an illegal approach," he said..

"We wouldn't dream of doing that at the moment given the fact that we don't know what's going to happen in the high court next week, but I'm sure if the club folds there will be a lot of other clubs interested in signing our players.

"I'm not surprised Chester feel we've got players they are interested in, because it wouldn't say much for Wrexham if that was not the case.

"But when I spoke to Ian I said there would be no point in talking about the availability of players unless Chester come up with a substantial offer that is going to make a significant dent in the tax bill.

"For example, £50,000 is not going to help us in the current situation but £250,000 would be an entirely different ball-game. And I told Ian that if the Chester chairman is interested in doing a deal but does not want to talk to me, then he will have to talk to one of the club's two directors, Dave Bennett and Dave Griffiths.

"If any bid is forthcoming, the three of us would then have something to consider and discuss before giving Chester an answer."

Despite Wrexham's continuing financial woes, Smith has been given the green light to take his squad to a London hotel this evening ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup first-round match against Conference South opposition Hayes FC.

"It's the correct thing to do and the right way to prepare for the game," said the Dragons boss. "It's the FA Cup and, although it's the first round, it's a very important game for us.

"If we are lucky this competition could bring us in around £1m, so for the sake of a couple of thousand pounds, it's worth every penny."

With none of his seven injured senior players in line for an immediate return to action, Smith will hope to name the travelling party involved in Tuesday's midweek defeat at Blackpool.

But second-string goalkeeper Danny Evans was absent from training yesterday due to illness, which could promote first-year scholar Michael Jones.

The red-haired 17-year-old - inevitably nicknamed Carrots - is the club's youth-team keeper.

But Smith said yesterday: "I didn't realise Danny wasn't in for training until someone told me he had phoned in sick. So Carrots could be involved.

"You don't get a second bite at the FA Cup and I wouldn't be happy if the goalkeeper was injured early on and we had to replace him with an outfield player."