TEAM NEWS: Paul Simpson says Carlisle United duo are 'fit and ready to be selected'

The defender and attacker are hoping to force their way into contention during Carlisle United’s eight-game run-in.

Mellor made a sub appearance in last weekend’s win over Bristol Rovers after more than two months out.

Toure returned to action in last week’s Cumberland Cup defeat to Carlisle City having been sidelined since October.

Simpson said the pair are in contention but the form of the players in the side is currently keeping them waiting.

“They’re ready to be selected,” said the manager, whose team go to Tranmere Rovers tomorrow.

“It’s my fault that they haven’t been, none of their issues. They’re fit and training.

“I’ve explained this to them – when I’ve had individual chats with players, if they were in that starting team that won six out of seven games and I’d left them out, I think they’d be knocking on my door wanting to know why.

“The lads who are starting have earned the right to start.”

Simpson said attacker Toure was due to travel with the Blues to Rochdale on Tuesday but not as part of the 18-man squad – so asked if he could remain in Carlisle and do more training.

Gime Toure, left (photo: PA)

Simpson said he appreciated the French forward’s honesty and said he will be “in the mix” for the Tranmere trip.

United’s boss admitted after Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat that he should have “freshened” up the team, but felt the same players deserved the chance to play again after the impressive previous showing.

In terms of their freshness on the back of Tuesday night, Simpson said: “They’ve been good. We haven’t changed anything, the lads who started have just had a recovery [on Thursday], and the others have been out on the grass and worked really hard.

“They’re looking fine. It’s interesting, the players who I’ve sat with and just gone through some clips and showed them bits of where they’ve been doing well, and what they did differently on Tuesday night, the sort of common theme is, ‘Wow, I didn’t realise that’s what I was doing on Tuesday’.

“They didn’t actually realise it was going on. They’ve seen it – and it’s the really good part of football now, we have this technology that can do it.

“There’s many games in my career that I’m glad they didn’t have video technology to show me back, but I wish there was times where they could have done.

“I can’t guarantee it would have made me any better but it wouldn’t have made me any worse as a footballer.

“I think it’s really good that we’ve got this facility that we can do it, and the players all seem to be responding in the right way.

“Hopefully come Saturday, if they’re chosen, they can go and perform to the levels they have been.”

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