Paul Simpson has been handed a TRIPLE injury boost ahead of Carlisle United’s clash with Hartlepool United.

Callum Guy has shrugged off the ankle injury that forced him off late in last weekend’s draw with Crewe Alexandra.

And both Ryan Edmondson and Ben Barclay are available to return to the squad after lay-offs.

With other players including Tobi Sho-Silva also getting closer, things are looking brighter on the fitness front after an injury-plagued start to the campaign at Brunton Park.

On midfielder Guy, manager Simpson said today: “Callum is fine.

“It was a twist, and we were still concerned on the Sunday when it was still but sore, but he came in on Monday and said, ‘I’m fine, I’m ok to train’.

“We’ve just cracked on with him and he’s trained all week with us.”

While Guy can continue in the side, there is the prospect of striker Edmondson and defender Barclay also joining the squad for the clash with Keith Curle’s Pools.

Defender Barclay has been out for two months with an ankle problem, with Edmondson also missing since early September with an ankle injury.

“They have done the full week of training and they are ok to come into our thinking,” Simpson said.

“They are certainly in consideration for the squad. We take 19 players with us and they’re certainly part of our thoughts.

“I just have to make the right call as to whether they come into it.”

Striker Sho-Silva is not yet ready to return but Simpson said the frontman, out since pre-season with a hamstring injury, is much closer.

“We’ve just got to try and get him as close to 100 per cent speed on Monday or Tuesday of next week and then he’ll be able to join in with rest of the group,” the Blues boss said.

Joel Senior is also inching closer to a return having been out since February with a knee injury. “He’s out on the grass – he’s just got to get over that psychological block that you have when out so long,” Simpson said.

United’s boss added that Sonny Hilton’s ankle injury looked likely to keep him out for six weeks rather than the eight initially feared.

Jamie Devitt, he added, was “feeling positive” after a recent injection in his injured thigh muscle, and was looking at three weeks or slightly longer on the sidelines.

On the improving injury picture, Simpson said: “I have to stop myself when I’m thinking, wow, in November we’re going to have Joel Senior back, Ben Barclay, Ryan Edmondson…then I think, ‘Calm down, we’re bound to pick something else up between now and then’.

“But fingers crossed we’ve had our run, and we can have a decent period of time where we have everybody out on the grass and I’ve got some real selection headaches on who has to miss out on a weekend game.”