Carlisle United: Jack Armer and Alfie McCalmont set to leave

Defender Armer is the subject of a bid from another club – strongly rumoured to be Burton Albion.

And midfielder McCalmont is attracting interest having informed Simpson that he wants to move on from the Blues.

Both players were absent from United’s first pre-season friendly as they won 8-0 at Penrith on Friday evening.

On Armer, Simpson said: “There is a possibility both players are going to be leaving the club.

“I can’t say any more but hopefully in the next three or four days it will become clear.

“There are things going on with both players.”

Armer is under contract at United until the summer of 2026 and Simpson said the deal for the ex-Preston North End defender to depart after four years in Cumbria would have to be right for all parties.

United's manager said: "There's an offer come in for him and it's something that Jack wanted to explore as well.

"If anything [like that] happens, I think the right thing to do is to speak to players about it because the way that the football world is, they always find out.

"So, I'm really straight with players and I told him about it. It's something he wanted to explore.

"If it happens, he goes with our best wishes because it will be the deal that's right for the football club and right for Jack Armer.

"We've just got to wait and see because, [although] I'm talking about it, it hasn't happened yet but it might happen over the next day or two."

Simpson would not be drawn on the Burton speculation when asked by the News & Star.

He also did not divulge who had come in for former Leeds United midfielder McCalmont.

"At the end of last season, I asked everybody if they're 100 per cent committed to us, and Alfie said that he felt as though he needed to move on for his career," said the Blues boss.

Alfie McCalmont (Image: Barbara Abbott)

"I was disappointed, I was surprised but I respect it and I respect that decision if that's what he wants.

"I don't want to keep players at this club who don't want to be here, because we've got a big season ahead of us - we've got a real challenge to get back to where we want to be and we need every single player pulling in the same direction.

"If it happens for Alfie, then good luck to him."

United’s boss, meanwhile, played down injury concerns over Charlie Wyke after the striker limped off in the first half at Penrith.

Simpson said the frontman had suffered a gash to his shin in a challenge but it was not felt to be serious.

"If anything, it'll just be a bruise, so hopefully he's okay," said Simpson.

"He iced it straight away. I was saying to get him off straight away, but he said, 'I'm okay'.

"Then he got a whack in the face, so we're not prepared to take any risks."

Fellow forward Anton Dudik, though, is out for four weeks after injuring his ankle in training.

Anton Dudik in a protective boot at Penrith (Image: Ben Holmes)

The Ukrainian was wearing a protective boot on his right foot as he watched the Penrith game from the bench.

"He twisted his ankle in training, I think it was last Tuesday," said Simpson. "He had a scan on it and he's got a Grade 2 strain, so it's about a four-week injury.

"He's absolutely raging because he's come back with an incredible fire in his belly, but he's just got to be patient.

"It's probably the first injury he's had, so I'm telling him he has to listen to Sophie [Birnie, head physio] and to Jake [Simpson, head of performance] and Adam [Kwiecien, strength and conditioning coach] and do exactly as they want him to."

And Simpson said Georgie Kelly is being nursed through the current stages of pre-season after feeling discomfort in his calf during his close-season fitness programme.

The Irish striker is back on the grass running and is due to rejoin football training soon, the manager added.

"Georgie felt his calf muscle early into his off-season programme, so we're nursing him back," said Simpson.

"Hopefully, he'll be dropped into the football sessions next week and it shouldn't be too long and he'll be back with us."

Jack Ellis, meanwhile, was rested at Penrith with Simpson saying the defender was "feeling a bit of fatigue" - United unwilling to risk Ellis given his hamstring injury history.