RETIRED goalkeeper Dan Connor could make a shock return for Hereford United in the Bulls' FA Cup clash against Yeovil on Saturday.

Connor told the Hereford Times a short while ago that, as he understands, he is on stand by if Dave Cornell cannot play in the game.

Connor retired from the game just weeks into this season after taking medical advice following a long standing hip injury he sustained last September.

The Irishman has since been given a role of trying to resurrect the club shop and has been given a more hands-on role in the commercial department.

At the start of the week, Wales under-21 manager Brian Flynn refused Cornell permission to play in Saturday's game.

His team face Armenia under-21s in a qualifier on Tuesday and it was reported that the players were required to take part in a pre-trip hill walking session before the match.

That meant that Hereford would be without a goalkeeper as Adam Bartlett and Russell Hoult are both injured.

However, behind the scenes negotiations between the Bulls and Wales seemed to resolve things with Cornell being allowed to play against Yeovil and join up with the Welsh squad after the match.

But the twist took another turn this evening when Hereford director of football Gary Peters said that Cornell has again been refused permission to play.

“Everyone, the Welsh FA, the English FA and the Wales manager Gary Speed, have said the lad can play for us,” he said.

“But Brian Flynn is saying no so, at the moment, we don’t have a goalkeeper.

"Even Swansea City want him to play for us.”

Peters added that Cornell told him that he will be a substitute in Tuesday's game.

The Bulls have until noon tomorrow to register a keeper for the game.

“We just don’t have anyone. We have been trying all week to find someone — it is unbelievable,” Peters said.

The situation has been confused even further by Cornell sending a tweet to his followers in the past hour, saying that he is on his way back to Hereford and is ready for Saturday.

The Bulls will also be without on-loan midfielders Tom Barkhuizen and Steven Leslie as their parent clubs have refused them permission to play.

Yeovil will be fielding their goalkeeping coach Gareth Stewart as Marek Stech is on Czech Republic Under 21s international duty.