Carlisle gaffer Keith Curle confirmed at his Thursday afternoon press conference that there had been some interest shown in members of his current squad but that he had no need to look to move anyone on at this moment in time.
“We’ve had little bits and pieces of enquiries and part of my job within the organisation is to be creative within the budget we have,” he said. “The pleasing thing is that I have no need to follow through on any of the interest we’ve had because I’m very happy with the squad I have as I sit here at the moment.
“The aim has been quality over quantity and we know we have to be cost effective because we know we aren’t going to buy our way out of this division. All I can say is that if I’m given the money, I’ll spend it, because the job gets easier with the more players you have available. However, having said that, what you have to remember is that spending big doesn’t always guarantee you success.”
“We have a good group but we know we’re going into this weekend without Jason Kennedy, Kelvin Etuhu and John O’Sullivan,” he explained. “Samir Nabi picked up a thigh injury in his cameo appearance against Blackburn so he’s been added to the list of those who are unavailable.
“That means we’re a bit thin on the ground with what we have available but they’re all under the guidance of our medical staff as they work towards a return. With John it’s an injury which could potentially see him ruled out for a period of time where we might need to find cover for his position.
“We now wait to hear from Dolly on the exact extent of the injury and the timeframe he puts on it, and then we take it from there. Even with the injuries we’ll still be very competitive.”
And on whether or not we could still see more new faces before the transfer window closes, he said: “I’m always having conversations with Nigel [Clibbens] because I always want more.
“Part of my job is to push limits and try to get as much as I can. Nigel’s job is to try to make as much money available as possible. Sometimes he has room to wheel and deal and sometimes it’s a flat ‘no’ – and that’s when I have to get creative.
“I am still looking at a player who might be available but we only ever do anything if it’s right for the club and for the squad. We keep tabs on the players we’re interested and, if we can make things happen as and when we need them to, we take the next steps. If we can’t we’re still very happy with the squad we’ve got.”
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