Carlisle will send a reserve side to face Paul Scholes’ Oldham on Tuesday in a bid to give senior players much-needed game time.

Mark Cullen and Jason Kennedy will be among the United men hoping to boost their match-fitness at the Latics’ training ground.

Boss Steven Pressley hopes the second-string friendly will help January signing Cullen- restricted to sub appearances so far after his return from a leg injury - put himself in contention for a start at Colchester next Saturday.

On the Blackpool loan striker, Pressley said: “I spoke with the physio and had a discussion as staff, and we just felt the risk we’d take [by starting him against MK Dons] would have been too much, in respect that we play him, he gets injured and we lose him for a long period of time.

“We wanted him to play of course but for me the most important thing for is we have him for the run-in.

“In the bounce game at Oldham he will hopefully get quite a bit of game time and I think he’ll be ready to participate next Saturday.”

Pressley said the side to face the Latics would be a mixture of senior and youth players, with United expected to arrange more friendlies to help midfielder Kennedy back to full sharpness.

He received a big ovation when he came off the bench late in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat for his first Brunton Park outing since October 2017.

Pressley said: “At the time we felt we needed to find a breakthrough goal, and Jason’s always had a habit of finding goals – it’s a great attribute of his, arriving in the box and scoring.

“Stefan Scougall at that point was suffering with cramp and we felt it was the right change. Jason came on and got his first taste of [first-team] football for some time, which is great news

“You saw the reaction of our supporters towards him, they were delighted to see him back.

“On Tuesday he’ll play a part and we’ll build him. Hopefully in time we’ll see him returning to the Jason Kennedy of old.”

Pressley, meanwhile, said that while Danny Grainger is likely to return at Colchester, Tom Parkes may again miss out.

Skipper Grainger was ruled out on Saturday with a dead leg while Parkes has a groin problem.

“Danny was probably 24 hours away from making [the MK game] – unfortunately we ran out of time to get him on the pitch but hopefully he’ll be fine come [today-Tuesday] and back to train.

“Parkes was suffering with the groin problem on Tuesday night [at Crewe] and played through it, but it’s not brilliant at this moment in time.

“He’s a warrior, so he’ll give himself every change of making next week’s game, but he’s still a major doubt for us.”

Pressley said United have received plenty of interest in their vacancy for a new strength and conditioning coach. They hope to make an appointment soon after it was confirmed Paddy Maher has left Brunton Park in order to take up a post at Myerscough College in Lancashire.

Youth coach Gavin Skelton has stepped up to help the first-team in Maher’s absence but Pressley said an outside appointment was due.

“David [Holdsworth, director of football] along with Dolly [physio Neil Dalton] have looked at potential candidates, and there’s been quite a lot of interest in the job,” manager Pressley said.

“They will speak to the appropriate people and then make a decision based on that. Hopefully we can get somebody in soon.”

On academy coach Skelton’s senior involvement, Pressley added: “That’s not a long-term thing, but it’s been great to have him involved with the first team. He’s an experienced player and coach.”