Carlisle United boss's positive pre-Leyton Orient injury update

Both Fin Back and Paul Huntington are in contention to be involved in the big game at Brisbane Road.

Nottingham Forest loanee Back rejoined the squad this week after a four-month hamstring injury lay-off.

Experienced defender Huntington, meanwhile, has trained after the abdominal injury that kept him out of United's last two games.

On Back, Simpson said: "It is brilliant - he has come back in and he is looking fit and strong, and [has] a sheer determination about him that he wants to come back and have an effect.

On Huntington, the United boss added: "Hunts has trained this week as well.

"In fact, today [Wednesday] we had 26 outfield players who could have been out on the grass."

Paul Huntington (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Jack Ellis is back in the picture, while Simpson said midfielder Taylor Charters was also involved in training yesterday, "doing his first bit of integration back into the group", though this weekend's game is likely to be too soon for the Maryport player.

On the availability of players for the Orient trip, he added: "They're all available for selection and to travel.

"It’s just Taylor Charters out of those I’ve spoken about, and Josh Dixon, who aren’t available at this moment in time.

"Everybody else is, so we have a good group to choose from and hopefully it’s a group that’s got a determination and desire to go and get a result against a team who everybody has been chasing all season."

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Simpson also stressed the importance of having a deep squad available for selection ahead of the final, crucial run of the 2022/23 season.

He said: "We have got a big group of players, obviously in that we have got the boys who are out on loan in Scotland and over in the North-East, Josh Dixon who is just returning from injury, so we have got a big group to choose from, so there are going to be players who are disappointed because they are not in the main training group, players disappointed this weekend that they are not traveling, possibly five or six won't travel but that is what I want.

"I want a group of players who can go and finish these last eight games because it is not going to be 11, it probably is not going to be just the same 18, we are going to need a full group to go finish off what we have got to."