HEREFORD United are still not ruling out a bid for troubled striker Dai Thomas.

Director of football Graham Turner says he could be interested in taking the 24-year-old on loan from Third Division Cardiff City.

But Thomas, who has impressed in two trial matches for the Bulls, has been suspended on full pay by Cardiff after allegedly being captured on television film with a gang of hooligans during Euro 2000.

The footage has placed a question mark over Thomas' whole career, but Turner is still keen to give him a chance after being the most impressive of United's pre-season trialists so far.

He is unlikely to play in tonight's glamour friendly with Premiership side Leicester City at Edgar Street (7.45), with Turner expected to field Rob Elmes, who has returned from holiday, up front.

Turner said of Thomas: "It is a delicate situation with his off-the-field problems, but the ideal situation from my point of view will be for him to come to the club for a month.

"He could then work and train with us and we can find out what he is like as a lad as well as a player.

"The problems hanging over him are quite a serious matter, but he can't be condemned for the rest of his life for one short period of daftness.

"Somewhere in life people do get a second chance and maybe Dai would appreciate that."

Defenders Tony James and Ian Wright are expected to be fit for tonight's game, but winger Paul Parry, midfielder Ian Rodgerson and defender Paul Sturgess are unlikely to have recovered from knocks in time.

Tonight's game was arranged in the aftermath of the FA Cup clash between the two sides last season, when Leicester scraped home 2-1 after extra time in a Filbert Street replay following a goalless draw at Edgar Street.

Leicester, now managed by Peter Taylor following Martin O'Neill's move to Celtic, have named a strong squad for the trip to Edgar Street.

Tim Flowers, Gerry Taggart and Tony Cottee are all set to figure in the match as will new £1.5m striker Trevor Benjamin.

The Kettering-born marksman was Taylor's fourth signing when he arrived from Cambridge United during the summer.