Keeper Louis Gray has today joined National League North side Chester on a one-month loan deal.
Chester currently sit fourth in the table and the big stopper will be available, if selected, for Saturday’s home game against Gateshead.
United boss Chris Beech said: "It’s an opportunity for Louis to go and play first team football. He’s a goalkeeper in his mid-20s who hasn’t played regular men’s football, and that is important for him.
“It means we can make sure he’s ready to come in and play in our first team if the situation arises over the next 12 games, because we’ve got the standard goalkeeper 24-hour recall on him.
“Chester are looking to go and win the league, and at the moment they need a goalkeeper. Due to us bringing Marcus [Dewhurst] in, it means we can allow Louis to go and get some games while still being covered in the goalkeeper department.
“He’ll be going into a good environment with a dressing room full of confidence, so it will be good experience for him. He’ll hopefully get plenty of first-team game time, and we’ll be able to have his games watched ahead of the decisions we have to make for next season.”
Gray, 24, played all three of United’s Leasing.com Trophy games this season and has been with the Blues since joining from Everton during the January 2018 transfer window.
He came back for a second spell in October 2018, and signed a further one-year deal ahead of this campaign.
The Welsh born gloveman cut his teeth at his hometown club Wrexham and made the move to join the Premier League giants, initially on a short-term deal, in September 2015.
He had a spell on-loan with Colwyn Bay just one month later, and featured for the Toffees in their Checkatrade Trophy games against Notts County and Mansfield Town in the group stages of the competition during the 2017/18 season.
He left Goodison Park when his contract came to a close in June 2018, and was courted by a number of clubs, including Nuneaton Borough, before making his way up north to Carlisle.
This deal remains subject to FA and National League clearance.