MICHAEL Rose is unlikely to have included Chester City boss Mark Wright on his Christmas card list this year.

The Hereford United ace returns to the Deva Stadium tonight (7.45) where he was unceremoniously dumped by Wright in the summer despite the promise of a contract.

Twenty-year-old Rose was left with an anxious wait to find a club but fortunately Chester's loss has proved to be United's gain.

Two free kicks by the set-piece specialist in last week's 5-0 drubbing of Woking are confirmation Rose is enjoying life at Edgar Street.

Bulls manager Graham Turner is backing him to turn in another good display but knows there will be added spice to his return.

"It's always interesting to go back to your former club and even better if you can come back and win," said Turner.

"He played around 38 games for them but wasn't offered a contract so he's got something to prove but he's done well for us."

The trip to Cheshire will be an acid test of the Bulls' mini-revival which has seen them plunder nine goals in two matches following a glut of four goalless games.

The Blues lie second in the table, three points behind leaders Yeovil Town with a game in hand, and are 10 points ahead of the sixth-placed Bulls.

And with Wright winning the Nationwide Conference manager of the month award for November, Chester are currently high in confidence, although Hereford will be as well as they look to boost their play-off hopes.

Ex-Liverpool and England star Wright has a lethal strike duo in the shape of Ryan Sugden and Daryl Clare, who has had his red card from last month's game with Southport downgraded to a booking.

The FA's decision means the former Boston United forward will not now have to miss three games because of suspension.

Clare has scored nine goals in seven games since his arrival while Sugden has 15 in 20 but Turner is backing his defensive partnership of Andy Tretton and Tony James.

"They will need watching but Tretton and James have developed an excellent understanding and I would back them against any strikers in the Conference," he said.

"Chester are a good side who play at tempo and with aggression and they won't be far off at the end of the season.

"But our confidence is good and they will have watched us for the last couple of games and we can expect them to get tight and a few tackles flying in."

Matt Clarke will be fit to take his place in the starting line up after shaking off a niggling knee injury.

FORMCAST: Hereford to stumble and lose 2-1.