Paul Simpson has explained the injury issue that forced Carlisle United prospect Aran Fitzpatrick to sit out the Blues’ latest friendly.

The teenager was missing from the team sheet as the Blues lost 2-0 to Gateshead on Tuesday.

While fellow youngsters Sam Hetherington and Jake Allan returned to the squad, bruising to his hamstring following a youth outing last weekend saw 18-year-old Fitzpatrick sidelined.

He suffered the knock during the game for United’s under-18s against Milnthorpe, Simpson said:

“He got a knee into his hamstring on Saturday and a lump came up onto his hamstring,” the manager said.

“It sounds like a haematoma type bruising that's come out. So he wasn't fit to train.

“Because of that, the lump was still there on the hamstring.

“My understanding is it's not a strain, but some sort of bruising that came out with this knee that he got into it.”

Fitzpatrick will be assessed in the build-up to Saturday’s final pre-season game against Stockport County at Brunton Park.

United are also expecting to establish the course of action on Ethan Robson’s recovery, with the midfielder out for months with a hamstring injury.

Ethan Robson is out with a hamstring injuryEthan Robson is out with a hamstring injury (Image: News & Star)

The Blues were this week set to discover whether surgery will be recommended – while could sideline the summer signing for longer than the predicted ten to 12-week spell initially suggested by Simpson.

As for Fitzpatrick and his fellow third-year scholars, Simpson is still delaying any decision on loaning them out.

Workington Reds are keen to bring back a couple of United’s teenagers ahead of the new season. Fitzpatrick, Hetherington and Allan all had spells at Borough Park last term.

Asked if there was any movement on this yet, Simpson said: “Not yet, no.

“It's about making sure we've got the right players here to make sure we get through pre-season, and then we'll make that decision when the time's right.”