Manager James Tose is expecting Carlisle City’s play-off chasing opponents Sandbach United to be “desperate” for a win today.

Sandbach are only out of the Hallmark Security League play-off places on goal difference, ahead of this afternoon’s match (3pm kick-off) but do have a game in hand on Alsager Town, in the place immediately above them.

City boss Tose is expecting them to be “massively up for it” when the two teams meet at the Sandbach Community Football Centre.

“Sandbach will be massively up for it,” he said. “They will be desperate to win. All the pressure is on them, there is no real pressure on us.”

The Sky Blues have faced Sandbach United twice this campaign, falling to defeats both times. But Tose doesn’t think there is too much to choose between the sides.

He said: “We have played them a couple of times this season. They beat us 1-0 in the Reusch First Division Cup when they scored in the last few minutes.

“It was 1-0 to them in the league fixture and then we gave away two sloppy goals late on. So, there is not much between the sides.”

Carlisle City’s boss admitted he will have to go to the Sandbach Community Football Centre with a depleted squad.

Hitman Ryan Errington picked up a knee injury in Tuesday’s defeat at City of Liverpool which could rule him out for the season, while Tose himself and Carl Carr will also miss out.

And Tose described a moment from Tuesday’s 6-1 loss which showed just how depleted his squad is at the minute.

He said: “What summed it up was I was coming on and I had to ask one of their staff to hold up the [subs] board.

“They said ‘where is your manager’ and I said ‘I’m the manager’. They asked ‘where is your assistant’, I said ‘centre midfield’ and they asked ‘where are your coaches’ and I said ‘I’m coming on for our first-team coach!’ It was one of those games.”