Keith Curle says fit-again defender Shaun Brisley is responding in the right way to being placed on the transfer list at Carlisle United.

The summer signing was one of three players Curle made available for a move last month.

The other two - Mark Ellis and Joe McKee - have since left, with Ellis joining Forest Green on loan and McKee leaving permanently for Falkirk.

Brisley, though, remains a United player and is back in the frame to join the squad to face Blackpool today after a knee injury.

Curle admitted he has not yet removed Brisley from the list but says the former Peterborough man has shown a good attitude to being given "a kick up the backside".

United's manager said: "I brought Shaun to the club because I believe he's a League One player, minimum.

"It was disappointing when he came into the club because of the injury he sustained, and if you ask Shaun, he'd be disappointed with his level of performances in a number of games.

"He had a period of time when I needed to take him out of the team and give him a rest.

"But there's more to come from Shaun Brisley. Putting him on the transfer list - sometimes you find out players can take the easy option and find an easy way out and find a club, or they can knuckle down and produce performances in training and in games that warrant the belief of what he can do and why he was brought here.

"Shaun falls into that category. He was given the biggest kick up the backside but that was done honestly and professionally to say, 'Shaun, I need better'.

"The pleasing thing is he admitted it himself. There's better to come from Shaun and he's in that process of earning the right to get back into the team."

Curle, meanwhile, also believes there is more to come from Jamie Devitt after the ex-Morecambe man impressed in a central midfield role last weekend.

The Irishman has had a stop-start first season at Brunton Park but United's manager believes he can still flourish in a blue shirt.

Curle said: "Jamie Devitt is a player that has got obvious skills that I don't feel we've fully utilised.

"Sometimes because of how we've played, and how we are improving, he hasn't had the game time as much, and also because of the formation we've played, because I want to play two up front.

"We're still working on the 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2 - that's still got some mileage but still needs some work.

"As we progress and improve, we will find there's more to offer from Jamie Devitt. I was quite pleased with how he did at Leyton Orient.

"The lad can handle a football, see and deliver a pass, can get forward and support play well. The defensive side of the game doesn't come naturally to him but it's something he's working on."