We’ve written this a few times recently but we find once again that we have our fingers crossed that the manager’s press conference on Saturday will bring with it good news on the players who were taken off the pitch on Thursday night as precautions, almost as soon as they reported that they weren’t quite feeling right.
“I went with the same 18 as Monday because I felt they’d earned that right,” manager Paul Simpson said. “I actually had it in my mind as to what the subs would be as well, if I’m being honest.
“I had this picture of Sonny Hilton coming on and causing problems down the right flank. I don’t know why I was thinking that, and it’s just one of those where whether it was Sonny or anybody else who came on, it was a mistake for me not have Joel Senior with us as an option.
“Jack Ellis has come off at half time with a sore hamstring, so I’ve made a mistake there. Hindsight is always a wonderful thing and, going into the game, I felt as though the lads from Monday’s game deserved to go again.”
Having mentioned Ellis, he added: “It’s too early to tell how bad it is. He came off feeling it and that was the right thing to do for him.
“I took Jack Stretton off as a precaution, also with a hamstring, and Taylor Charters is the same, he was feeling his. It’s rubbish.
“I’ve got to say that I’ve been to Crewe a few times and that’s the worst pitch they’ve had in my time. I’m quite sure that plays a part and the players have said that it was horrible to play on.
“It affected the way we went about it in that we had to turn it round and just flip it in behind then chase and work from there. It’s disappointing with the injuries, but we’ve just got to deal with it.”
And on Jon Mellish, who had a prolonged spell of treatment just before he came off, he explained: “Mells came off as a precaution because he got a kick, and Chris Brunskill said to me that it’s possibly going to need stitches in his shin area.
“He was fine just with a bandage on it for a while, but there is a possibility that it might need a couple of stitches. That’s another to wait and see with.
“There’s a few cuts and bruises, which we expected with three games in six days, and the job now is to make sure we have 18 available for Doncaster.
“A couple that people won’t know about are Callum Guy and Owen Moxon. Cal was actually struggling with both hips after Monday’s game, they were sore. He told me he was fit to train and that he wanted to play.
“Mox left the building with a boot on his foot on Monday evening, but he also told me he was fit and that he wanted to play. All of these lads want to be involved and I know there are lads on the bench who were disappointed not to get a start.
“Joel was in the dugout with everybody and I know he’s disappointed. That’s a good thing that we’ve got players who want to be out there and who want to be involved. The challenge for us now is to get a team that can go to Doncaster and make it three on the bounce.”
Some better news for Ryan Edmondson, who is yet to see aa specialist about his shoulder, is that he’s recovering well from an illness bug.
“I contacted him yesterday and the biggest problem for him right now is that he’s been ill, as well as the issue with his shoulder,” the gaffer confirmed. “He hasn’t been into the club since the Northampton game because of that.
“Obviously we don’t want anyone else getting it. He told me last night that he’s starting to feel a bit better, and hopefully we’ll get news on his appointment soon.”
Moving on from injuries, we asked about rumours that start to surface, and that can be quite unsettling, once a transfer window opens.
“What I will say is that there is nothing that I know about,” he said. “That’s me being absolutely honest.
“It’s probably a good thing and the reason why I don’t read social media because I’d maybe get as worried as you are if I kept seeing these things crop up.
“All I can say is that I haven’t had any calls about players leaving us, it’s as simple as that. We’ve had a lot of conversations about players coming in to join us, but no, nothing the other way.
“I can’t sit here and say nobody will leave, I don’t have that crystal ball, but this group is doing everything it can to get results for Carlisle United and I want that to carry on.
“To do that we need to hang on to all of them. If there is movement out of the club, and that may be the case, I’d like to think it will be for players who need game time, and that it’s those we’ve worked with to get them something.
“I keep saying, we’re a club that doesn’t have millions of pounds so in or out, we have to do what’s right. Hopefully we keep the bulk of the group together and add to it to strengthen, because I really do feel we have something building here.”