Exeter City's Fulham loan midfielder to face Carlisle United

Luke Harris, an attacking midfielder, joined the Grecians from Fulham this week.

The Welsh Under-21 international looks set to be in the Devon club’s squad for the visit of Paul Simpson’s new-look Blues.

Exeter drafted in the 18-year-old in a bid for more creative threat in a side struggling in the League One relegation zone.

They sit fourth bottom, a place and three points above Carlisle, ahead of Saturday’s showdown at St James Park.

Gary Caldwell’s side have won just one of their last 15 games, although they were solid at home over the festive period, defeating Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 and holding leaders Portsmouth 0-0.

After a strong start to the campaign they have struggled, with a number of players out injured to add to their difficulties.

They started the year with a 3-2 defeat at Reading which kept them in the drop zone but assistant manager Kevin Nicholson believes they are doing some good things in their displays.

Defender Will Aimson is hoping to return to action for the Grecians against Carlisle (Image: PA)

“We’re happy with the performance level,” he said.

“At Reading it was moments in the game that cost us and we’ve got young players who need to learn from them.

“Over Christmas out performance level was high, energy level was high, we’ve scored goals, keep clean sheets…we need to make sure that mindset, that understanding, that level of intensity goes into the next game.”

Exeter could welcome back Will Aimson and Yanic Wildschut from injury against the Cumbrians.

Nicholson, meanwhile, admitted the Grecians were being “guarded” in how much they revealed publicly about the shape of their squad before the Carlisle clash.

“We’re very aware of how frustrating it is when every Thursday we sit here and get asked similar questions, and have to be almost guarded in how we answer them,” he said in a club interview.

“Every club we play watches these [interviews] so we can’t just sit and announce everybody’s fully fit and ready to go, or announce someone’s not going to be fit, because it affects how teams prepare against us.”

Experienced defender Pierce Sweeney, meanwhile, says there is no underplaying the importance of this weekend’s game.

“Plainly, Saturday’s game at home to Carlisle is huge,” he wrote in his column for DevonLive.

“The Cumbrian side are one place and three points behind us in the League One table and we’ll be looking to extend that advantage at the weekend – certainly, it’s imperative we don’t allow Paul Simpson’s side to climb above us.”

A win would take Carlisle past Exeter on goal difference, but the goal difference deficit to fifth-bottom Reading means United are likely to remain in the drop zone whatever Saturday’s outcome.