Jack Stretton looks set to be ruled out for weeks at Carlisle United – but is not looking at a long-term lay-off.

Assistant manager Gavin Skelton says the Derby County loan striker’s hamstring injury appears to be at the less serious end of the scale.

Stretton could miss “two or three weeks” of action – handing a short-term blow to manager Paul Simpson.

But it is not expected to be as long-lasting as other hamstring injuries United have faced this season, such as the problem which looks set to keep Taylor Charters out for much of the campaign.

“We hope it’s not going to be a really serious one like Taylor’s, but it will be a few weeks, two or three weeks at least,” said Skelton of Stretton, who pulled up in the first half of the New Year’s Day defeat at Doncaster Rovers.

“He won’t be fit, I wouldn’t imagine, for Newport [next weeked], but I think it’s a lower grade [tear], whereas Taylor was a higher grade and he’ll be out for a long time.

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“Jack is still getting assessed, so it’s still quite early, but [this period without a game] does give you that extra time to get him right.”

Stretton has joined Ryan Edmondson on the treatment table, with the latter facing a longer lay-off after dislocating his shoulder in the defeat at Northampton Town before Christmas.

Skelton said he did not have more exact details on the ex-Leeds man’s lay-off after Edmondson’s visit to see a specialist.

He added: “I don’t think it will be the next couple of weeks, it’s more longer term but beyond that I’d be commenting on something I don’t have the exact details of. But he’s obviously not going to be fit for Newport.”

There is brighter news with the imminent return of Omari Patrick, who has trained this week having returned from a hamstring injury which has sidelined him since October.

The attacker is aiming to be back in the squad for the Newport game on January 14, while defender Ben Barclay (ankle) has also returned to light training.

“Omari’s trained all week which is pleasing,” said the coach.

“It means he gets his fitness up, and no game this weekend gives him another week of full training to get up to speed, and hopefully he can potentially be involved against Newport.

“Ben’s started light training this week, probably the next couple of weeks he’ll up that and then join in fully.

“That’s a positive with those two and hopefully we can keep them fit.

“We’ve missed them in the first part of the season, they’ve been really unfortunate with injuries, and they will add something to the group, and starting XI potentially.

“Hopefully we can get them fully fit and they stay fit for the remainder of the season.”