Paul Simpson expects the Carlisle United players who missed their final friendly to come back into the mix this week.

Jack Robinson and Dan Butterworth both sat out the 2-0 defeat to Dundee United.

Defender Robinson was ill while attacker Butterworth was nursing some discomfort in his hamstring, manager Simpson said.

But neither situation should prevent the summer signings from being available for next Saturday’s League One opener against Fleetwood Town.

“Jack Robinson reported ill [on Friday], so we sent him home so that he didn't spread it to anybody else in the club,” said Simpson of the former Middlesbrough man.

“I fully expect him to be available to train Monday to come back in the group.

“Dan Butterworth had a little bit of…we think it's fatigue, just in his hamstrings from Tuesday night [the 1-1 draw at Chorley].

“And in a way that's possibly understandable because he's missed probably three weeks of our footballing work, and then we signed him and he's looked lively in training.

“He's done all the work, but we've just got to manage him and I wasn't prepared to take any chances.

“So hopefully, if he's not fit to train on Monday, it'll be to towards the end of the week when he comes back into it.”

Simpson, meanwhile, said Carlisle’s only serious injury absentee, first-yar pro Kai Nugent, was continuing on the road back to fitness.

The young midfielder suffered an ankle injury early in pre-season.

“He’s out of the [protective] boot and he’s been doing work in the gym,” said United’s manager.

“He's still a good few weeks away, I'm led to believe. He's not fit to join in training yet.

“I was told it was a four to six-week injury, so we'll just keep working with him.

“It's a real shame for Kai because he was looking really lively and this has just set him back a little bit.”