Carlisle United manager Keith Curle today said he is closing in on two possible signings ahead of tomorrow's clash with Wycombe.

The Blues boss said at his press conference that he is eyeing a midfielder and a winger with deals "very close".

One of the players is on the books of a Premier League club with the other a free agent, Curle said.

He hopes to make a breakthrough this afternoon having been snubbed by another target, from a League One club, this morning.

Curle said: "I'm hopeful by this afternoon we might get the go-ahead to sign maybe two players.

"I've not [yet] had the green light from the Premier League club - part of their hierarchy are away and we need to make contact with them.

"I've spoken to the player and the player's representative, and his direct line manager, and he needs to get that authorized, then we can pass it back to [United owner] John Nixon to do the finances on that deal."

On the third player who turned down a switch to Brunton Park, Curle said: "A representative asked if we would be interested in a player from a League One club, we said yes, but then got told at 9.30am the player didn't want to come to Carlisle, which is his prerogative."

Curle, meanwhile, says striker Jabo Ibehre is available to return against Wycombe.

The top scorer missed last weekend's draw at Exeter with Curle at the time refusing to clarify the reasons for his absence.

News & Star Sport reported on Monday that the frontman had a minor injury and Curle today confirmed that an elbow problem had sidelined Ibehre.

Curle said: "It was an elbow injury - he [Ibehre] took a knock on his elbow that inflamed and caused infection."

United's boss said he had not previously clarified the reasons for the striker's absence out of "disappointment" at post-match media questions.

Curle said: "Maybe it was a little bit of disappointment from myself that we'd finished the game and we were talking about players who hadn't been involved.

"I didn't think there were enough questions or focus on the players who had gone in and put in a good performance."

United's boss said midfielder Antony Sweeney is also fit to return from injury, having come through 45 minutes of a bounce game against Barrow on Tuesday.

Curle has invited two unnamed trialists back for further training after they impressed in that second-string outing.