Keith Curle says it is doubly important that Carlisle United's fans return to Brunton Park in their droves now the Blues have missed out on a double cup windfall.

United's exit from the FA Cup and Checkatrade Trophy means Curle will not gain any extra cup revenue as the January transfer window looms.

The Blues boss says home league games are now vital to get more people into the ground and bolster his and the club's spending power.

Curle, whose side go to Luton this weekend, said: "We're out of the two cup competitions and the only way we can generate finances into the club is by supporters coming in their thousands through that gate.

"No matter what happens, when the transfer window opens, the more paying customers we get in here, the more revenue that's created - and the more that's created, the more the club can make available for me to spend.

"If things don't improve, things will stay the same. If we started getting 6-7,500 people coming in here, that's creating a lot of money that can be made available for player acquisitions and improving the working environment we're trying to create.

"We need supporters to come in their thousands, not just 25 extra. There's a lot of finances created if you get another 500 people in the gate. Another thousand, that's a lot of money potentially being generated that will be made available, if it happens on a consistent basis."

Tuesday's game in the controversial Checkatrade Trophy saw United miss out on £20,000 prize money, while the 1,126 crowd was the fourth-lowest in Brunton Park history.

Curle said he has now been told by the Blues hierarchy how much he can expect to spend in January, but was coy on whether he would be able to splash the cash.

United's boss has previously said successful clubs need to be "proactive" in the January window.

But asked by the News & Star if he was happy with what he has been promised by the United board, he said: "I'm never happy because I'm a demanding manager, I want the best that I can get. They could give me 10 million quid and I'd want 11.

"I'm very happy with the squad that we've got. We're where we are in the league on merit and there's still more to come from the players we have here now.

"Am I panicking, in a desperate need to bring bodies in? No, not at all. I think I've got a very, very good changing room."

Asked if he would be able to be "proactive" with the funds at his disposal, he replied: "I am being proactive, my staff are, we're covering a lot of miles and games, we're identifying and continually identifying players we think potentially could improve us.

"Sometimes you need to go and watch them again and again until you can make recommendations you can back up."

Curle, meanwhile, has dismissed a "rumour" concerning top scorer Charlie Wyke. He said: "Someone told me about a rumour circulating about a Championship club that's prepared to match Charlie's buy-out clause in his contract. I didn't even know Charlie had a buy-out clause in his contract."

United's boss said Jabo Ibehre was expected "back on the grass" today as the striker steps up his recovery from a back problem.

The manager added: "Then it's a case of what levels we can get Jabo to. He's still with [fitness coach] Lee Fearn and [physio] Neil Dalton. I trust their opinion and back it, when they deem him right.

"I don't want Jabo now, for the sake of having him involved, if he's not 100 per cent right. It's not fair on rest of the changing room. I don't need anybody to do me a favour."