Carlisle United look to trim squad before transfer deadline

The Blues remain keen to sign another striker but the recent recruitment drive has left the squad top-heavy.

Simpson says the current numbers at Brunton Park can present a “problem” and he hopes enquiries for some of his fringe men will come to a head.

“There have been a few tentative inquiries for a few of our players,” said the manager.

“And we certainly need to move some out, because we had 26 outfield players training last Friday morning, Josh Emmanuel will probably join training at the end of [this] week and that takes it to 27.

“Then you’ve got JJ Kayode to come back into it – 28.

Josh Emmanuel is close to a return to training after injury (Image: Barbara Abbott)

“That's too many, because we actually had too many players to play in the game [at Penrith] on Tuesday night.

“So we've got to we've got to trim that squad and we've got to try and make it right.

“Because I think when you have too many that gives you a problem, and when you have too few you have a problem.

“We've got to get the right balance and if we can, we'll move some on.

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“If we can't, we'll work with them until the end of the season. And then it's a case of readdressing where we are, what we've got and trying to make the group better for the future.”

The levels of outward movement at Brunton Park could also depend on whether interest from Portsmouth and others in Owen Moxon comes to a head before Thursday's 11pm cut-off for signings.

The League One leaders' admiration for Moxon is genuine and there remains the possibility of an exit for the midfielder – who has turned down the chance to sign a new United contract – if a deal can be struck.

Simpson has made six first-team additions so far in the January window with a seventh hoped to be a striker with good “physical” attributes.

United’s hopes that Rotherham United loanee Kayode could prove that player have been dashed by the injuries that have limited him to two appearances since his September move.

Joshua Kayode (Image: Ben Holmes)

Kayode will hopefully return to action soon but Simpson said the need for more attacking reinforcements remains plain.

“The record that we've got in scoring goals this season isn't good enough” he said.

“We've got a [new signing] in Luke Armstrong, and we've got players like Dan Butterworth and Sean Maguire who've got energy and can flit around, but haven't got goals for us.

“We've got another target man in Joe Garner, who's at the stage of his career where he’s not a starter for us. He's somebody who we have to use to come and give us a bit of support to cause that chaos.

“And he's been fantastic for us. But we certainly need another one because JJ is not fit yet.

“Losing JJ for the whole time we have has been a huge blow to us, it really has.  

“I'm not throwing everything on to JJ but we really pushed the boat out at the time to come and bring him into the club. And to have him missing for the whole time barring the Stevenage and Accrington games is a huge blow.

“I was really excited to get him in to see what he could do. We can't do anything about it now, we've just got to try and find another one to give us an opportunity over the last 17 games.”