Keith Curle is set for talks with Carlisle United's directors to see how much cash he will get to spend from Tuesday's boosted gate receipts from the Sunderland game.

An 8,187 crowd watched the Blues' valiant 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat against their Championship visitors.

United have promised that some of the proceeds will go to Curle to help him strengthen his squad.

But, with the transfer deadline looming next Thursday, the budget is also affected by maintenance jobs at Brunton Park, including £30,000 repairs to the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Stand roof.

Curle admitted he will not have fortunes to spend compared with some other League Two clubs, but he is awaiting the detail from United's hierarchy.

He said: "My job now is to wait until I have my next face-to-face [discussions] with the stakeholders and say, 'We've had the cup run, and the revenue in, now what money is to be made available?'

"Within that, there is maintenance work that needs to be done. We can't take our eye off that if we want to keep on progressing, or turn a blind eye to things that need doing.

"Part of my role has got to involve good housekeeping. Lots of clubs are funding their operation differently to how we're funding ours. "e need to get money in and that can get given to me to spend.

"We haven't got a benefactor with deep pockets. Mansfield have gone and bought another striker [Oxford's Kane Hemmings on a season-long loan] - they have brought in something like 14 new players.

"Other clubs are spending 350 grand, like Swindon, Luton are paying a quarter of a million. We know where we're at."

Curle would like to strengthen with cover at full-back and wide midfield before the deadline.

His midfield options have, though, been boosted by the return to fitness of Jason Kennedy and Samir Nabi.

Kennedy made his first outing of the season as a late sub against Sunderland while Nabi was in the squad for the first time this campaign.

That leaves only Kelvin Etuhu and John O'Sullivan as the remaining absentees ahead of Saturday's trip to Lincoln.

Curle was encouraged by his team's showing against Sunderland and believes his team are producing more consistent performances.

"I got the feeling the fans appreciated the spectacle," the manager said. "We weren't just unlucky - we gave them a good go. They brought some of their big guns onto the pitch in the second half because we were testing them, asking them questions.

"Players are understanding the rewards from making the right decisions at the right stages. Good players make good decisions. We're trying to get that level of consistency. The more people you have making less mistakes, the more opportunity you have to win football matches."