CREWE'S injury problems have thrown into light, again, the importance of the club's academy which was rated above a host of higher league youth set-ups in a recent survey.

Dave Artell's starting XI in Saturday's (0-2) defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday had an average age of 21, not including veteran Chris Porter, who was left shouldering the attacking responsibilities with Mikael Mandron, Chris Long and Scott Kashket sidelined.

Despite the Alex's struggles in League One this term the emergence of new talent in recent weeks, including 17-year-old defender Zac Williams and midfielder Regan Griffiths, is vindication of the work done by a youth set up which was placed 11th in the country for productivity.

The survey, based on the level players progress to from academies across the country, showed Crewe had the best performing Category 2 academy.

In fact, it was only behind more expensively-invested Category 1 academies and placed above 15 of them, including Leeds, Aston Villa, Leicester, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Norwich and Wolves.

Manchester United topped the list with Arsenal and Chelsea behind them in the Training Ground Guru's Academy Productivity Rankings.

Artell says he is keenly aware that his role must include a focus on nurturing talent and finding places in the first team for emerging players from the academy.

"When you think your Manchester Citys and Chelseas spend tens of millions on their academies and we're nowhere near that. But we're 11th best in the whole country and ahead of other clubs that spend fortunes," said the Crewe manager.

"They're all Category 1 clubs above us. That's what we are about and while this academy produces the players I will certainly be playing them, developing them and doing my bit at the sharp end.

"I think the future is always bright while we are running the Academy.

"Any player that comes through this club knows that they are at the best academy for giving them an opportunity. It's alright being at Man Utd, but there you've got to be the best of the best. It's all right if you are, but everyone else is left by the wayside."

Artell hopes a free week ahead of Saturday's trip to Gillingham will offer time for some of his frontmen to recover from injury and illness.

"We need to get some players back. We've got one fit striker (Porter) and he's 37 - and he's not fully fit," noted the manager.

Mandron, Long and Kashket cried off through illness at the weekend, while Artell hopes Ben Knight has not suffered a serious foot injury after twisting his ankle in training last Friday.