Keith Curle expects Carlisle United winger John O’Sullivan to be out of action for at least three months.

The ex-Blackburn man missed the Blues’ pre-season campaign, as well as United’s first two competitive fixtures of the 2017/18 season, with a stomach problem and Curle estimated the midfielder would be unavailable for “between 11-14 weeks”.

But there were more positive updates on the injury situations for midfielders Jason Kennedy, Kelvin Etuhu and Samir Nabi, ahead of tomorrow’s League Two clash at Cambridge (3pm kick-off).

“Jason Kennedy and Kelvin Etuhu are both field-based,” Curle said. “John O’Sullivan is going to be a few months because of the nature of the injury and he is having an operation.

“You would probably say with the nature of the operation, from the information that I have had, you are looking at between 11-14 weeks, I think, as a conservative guess. As soon as he is able to get into a regime, he will accelerate this process I’m sure. But I would say 11-14 weeks as an outside guideline.

“Samir Nabi has settled very well. He has been doing his strength work and we are hoping for him to be field-based at the start of next week. Players are coming back and we still have a very capable, competitive squad.”

Curle had previously said that he would look to reinforce his threadbare squad in the absence of O’Sullivan, and revealed after Tuesday’s win over Fleetwood he had missed out on one target.

Curle said: “The football club are trying to make money available, but we need to have clear guidelines on the money we have available.

“We are trying to schedule meetings at the latter stages of this week or the early stages of next week, where we will get a little bit more clarity on finances available. But I will not be going shopping at Harrods if I have got no money. We know where we are shopping and we have got a value on what we are paying for.

“What we don’t do is pay over the odds for players that I don’t think will add quality.

“I will not fill the changing room with sub-standard players that I don’t think will be worthy of representing the team at first team level.”

United travel to the Cambs Glass Stadium looking to earn their first league points of the season on the back of their Carabao Cup success at Fleetwood.

They will come up against popular ex-Blues frontman Jabo Ibehre, who left United for the U’s this summer.

On the big striker, Curle said: “I have a lot of time for Jabo as an individual and as a professional.

“He was probably a cornerstone of us rebuilding our football club – the structure, the stature, the ethos and the professional standards we are trying to set at the football club.

“You would probably say that Jabo’s signing was a standard bearer for a lot of positive things at this football club. Jabo was part of the rebuild of this football club, not only on the pitch, but in the changing room, as well. He was the go-to guy for a lot of players because of his seniority.

“He was never one to scream and shout. He was never one to be that vocal for us but he led by example, and that was key.

“How he conducted himself off the pitch, how he conducted himself on the pitch – he gave us everything. If you can get that out of a 33-34-year-old who enjoyed his time here as a professional, I think that shows you are able to attract other good professionals to the football club and they are coming not to just earn good money.”

Another former Carlisle player, David Amoo, also joined Shaun Derry’s Cambridge this summer. He started in their 4-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday.

Like the Cumbrians, Cambridge were beaten in their season-opener last Saturday, losing 1-0 to last season’s play-off finalists Exeter.