Carlisle United's Paul Simpson expects Morecambe to be 'in our faces' in pre-season friendly

An encounter with Derek Adams’ League One side is the Blues’ last test before the new season.

The game at the Mazuma Stadium (kick-off 3pm) offers Simpson the chance to fine-tune things before the big League Two kick-off against Crawley Town next weekend.

It comes at the end of United’s week-long training camp in Largs.

And the Blues boss expects Adams’ Shrimps to set Carlisle a different kind of examination than they faced from another third-tier outfit in Bolton Wanderers last weekend.

“It will be another tough test,” United manager Simpson said.

“I think the way Morecambe play, they’ll be in our faces, they’ll probably be thrashing around us.

“There will probably not be as much football as we saw from Bolton.

“I’ll assess Morecambe and get ourselves prepared, and come up with a bit of a plan.

“It’s more just to get the players used to how I want to work this season in terms of the opposition analysis to prepare, and we’ll see what comes from it.”

Simpson could have Morgan Feeney back available today after the head injury that cut short his appearance against Bolton and kept him out of Tuesday’s defeat to Livingston.

Brennan Dickenson has been having a dead leg assessed in the build-up to this afternoon’s encounter in Lancashire.

The game against his former club looks set to be Jamie Devitt’s final chance to impress ahead of a contract decision.

Jamie Devitt could face former club Morecambe today in his bid to earn a new United deal (photo: PA)

Morecambe could include two former Blues men in Cole Stockton and Arthur Gnahoua.

Simpson, meanwhile, has insisted that he won’t be throwing any selection curve-balls today in an attempt to throw Crawley off the scent.

He said the priority is ensuring players have enough minutes in their legs to be in peak condition for next Saturday’s league opener.

"I’d be very surprised if I completely show my hand, as to what my starting team will be, and I’ll probably base it on who I think needs 90 minutes," he said.

“Whatever I do decide I won’t be doing it to try and be clever.

“It’s more about trying to make sure all the players are at a similar level fitness wise.

“I won’t be playing a completely different shape. I believe in consistency and trying to get a structure going. It will be about that.

“It will be a case of making sure all players are at the same level so come Crawley, whoever gets selected is in a decent state of fitness to go and perform.”