Carlisle United: updates on Armstrong, Thomas and Williams

Manager Paul Simpson today gave an update on his squad ahead of Saturday’s trip to MK Dons.

Defender Thomas, who went off with a hamstring problem in the 1-0 win over Barrow, has not trained this week but will be given until as late as possible before the weekend.

Striker Armstrong, though, is back in the ranks after becoming a father last weekend, having missed the Barrow game when his partner went into labour.

“Luke’s buzzing,” Simpson told the News & Star.

“His partner gave birth [between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday] – he’s got a little boy and he’s on cloud nine, running around like a spring chicken.

“I spoke to him over the weekend and said to him, ‘Look, you tell me how you want to go with it’ because we're in a world where fathers have as much rights to time with their families.

“He said, ‘No, everything's fine, I'll be in on Monday morning’.

“So he's trained all week and hopefully everything will go to plan and he'll be available for Saturday.

“I actually said to him today that it was the best he has trained since he came into the football club, he was flying around and banging goals in all over the place. So I hope he's got a new lease about him."

Things are less clear on Thomas’ availability for United’s second away game of the campaign.

Simpson said the summer signing’s hamstring problem was not a serious one but the next 24 hours would be key in determining whether he can figure at Stadium MK.

With the ex-Charlton Athletic man having not trained this week, Simpson said: “It’s [been] a case of nursing him, and the truth is he's not been able to train just yet.

“But we're just going to keep an eye on it. It may be too early on Saturday, but we're just going to wait and see. We'll give him as long as possible.

“If he's not available, we've got a ready replacement in Sam Lavelle, or we've got Ben Barclay who could drop back into there, and we've got others who could drop into midfield with Dominic Sadi coming into the club.

“So we do have options there. In the ideal world, we'd like T back, but we've just got to wait and see.

“It has been scanned, and there's showing up a slight bit of damage, but nothing long-term at all that we need to be really concerned about.

“If there's a chance, then he will travel with us.”

Ben Williams is fit for this weekend despite last Saturday's knock (Image: Ben Holmes)

Wing-back Ben Williams is fit to play after being substituted with a knock to his shin against Barrow.

“It literally was a kick, and he was okay to train – he was out there on Monday, and everybody else was,” said Simpson.

“There were a few little things [from the Barrow game]. Aaron Hayden got smacked in the face, but it affected his shoulders and his back when it landed as opposed to his head. But again, he was perfectly fine.”

• WATCH: New Carlisle United signing Dominic Sadi's goals

In more encouraging news on the fitness front, Simpson said midfielder Dylan McGeouch and wing-back Cameron Harper could be back in full training late next week, putting them in the frame for a possible return against Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, August 31 or against Nottingham Forest Under-21s in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy three days later.

“That's real good news,” manager Simpson said.

“The two of them have been out on the grass now probably for about two weeks.

“It was good to see Cameron, Dylan, Jack Robinson and Callum Guy doing some really intense work today with Jake [Simpson, head of performance], some rehab work, so they're going to be building their work up.

“Jack Robinson and Callum are obviously further away from coming back, but we think if everything goes to plan with the work that [Dylan and Cameron] are doing, and they get no reaction today, tomorrow, and Saturday, they'll then get a rest day Sunday and then some retesting on Monday with a view that by the end of the week they'll hopefully be able to join in.”