Joshua Kayode is due back at Carlisle United today as the striker looks to make a belated return to action before the end of the season.

The forward, who has made just two appearances this campaign because of injury, has been back at parent club Rotherham United for the latest stages of his recovery.

But he is now due to rejoin the Blues as Kayode bids to play some part in United’s remaining games.

The 23-year-old has been out since September with shoulder and calf injuries and been able to play no part in United’s increasingly futile fight against relegation.

Manager Paul Simpson said: “We believe as it stands JJ is going to come back in to train with us on Thursday.

“It’s been really difficult to get any information on him from Rotherham, but we think he’s coming back on Thursday.

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“He won’t be available for next Saturday [at Northampton Town] and maybe even next Tuesday [at Cheltenham Town] but hopefully we’ll get him back for at least a couple of games, and get something out of him after what’s been a really frustrating time.”

News and Star: Kayode suffered a shoulder injury in September - and then a calf problem in the winterKayode suffered a shoulder injury in September - and then a calf problem in the winter (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Asked by BBC Cumbria if it was curious to have found difficulty in getting information from Kayode’s parent club recently, Simpson added: “They’ve obviously got their own things that they are concerning themselves with – they’re in a horrible situation like us [Rotherham are adrift at the bottom of the Championship]. I don’t know the reasons but we’ll wait and see.”

It has been a campaign to forget in terms of Kayode’s third spell at United, which began when he joined on loan for the season on last summer’s transfer deadline day.

He suffered shoulder damage on his first outing against Accrington Stanley in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy but the extent of the problem was not fully established until after he had then played in the league at Stevenage.

After a lay-off, the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international had been due to return to action on New Year’s Day, but suffered a calf injury in the build-up to the game which duly extended his time on the sidelines.