Kwame Thomas will today get his chance to stake a claim for a Carlisle United deal – before the Blues end their long wait to land striker targets.

Trialist Thomas is likely to feature against Fleetwood (Brunton Park, 3pm) in the Blues’ fourth pre-season friendly.

His opportunity comes with United’s squad still very light on numbers as they wait to add attacking players two weeks before the start of the season.

United are hoping to make a breakthrough with some of their attacking targets who are on the books of Premier League and Championship clubs, with about six possibilities under consideration.

The Cumbrians hope that, now some of those clubs are coming to the end of pre-season tours and the league campaign is drawing closer, they will get the green light to complete at least some deals next week.

They are also still in the market for midfielders and wide players, including loan targets as well as an unnamed non-league midfielder who is believed to be interesting United.

Manager Steven Pressley has insisted Carlisle are taking the right approach by waiting for the targets he thinks are right for the team, even if they arrive late in the day.

“We are closing in on a couple of players – it’s just been circumstances at particular clubs that have stopped them happening before now,” the United boss said.

“I’m settled in what I expect to happen. I also realise that, if you panic and sign the wrong players, you’ve got them for 55 games.

“So I’m willing to be patient, because I think that once we get them, they’ll be worth the wait.

“I think we’ve got the right characters and players in thus far and I don’t want to deviate from that strategy.”

Given United’s current attacking shortage – worsened by Hallam Hope’s suspension – Pressley is likely to hand more opportunities to youth players this afternoon.

He will also run the rule over ex-Derby, Coventry and Solihull Moors striker Thomas, who joined the squad for training this week.

The ex-England under-20 man failed to score in 17 appearances for Solihull last season but Pressley believes the forward has attributes worth considering.

“He showed an early promise [in his career] and I’ve spoken to a number of people at Coventry on him,” Carlisle’s manager said.

“He’s actually very mobile, he’s a handful and he’s really hard-working. Those elements I think we can work with.

“He has to prove on a number of things but he’s got good speed as well for a big striker. Those things ticked a lot of the boxes.

“At this moment in time his history is not one where he’s scored enough goals as yet, but if I was to put the goals in there, he’s not coming up to Carlisle [on trial].”

“We’ve got to try and find players as close as we can, but maybe without certain history to them. That’s the thinking in him.”

Adam Collin should get his first pre-season outing today but Jack Iredale (thigh) is unlikely to be involved.

League One side Fleetwood could include former United men Kyle Dempsey, Paddy Madden and Jack Sowerby, with ex-Blues defender Clint Hill among Joey Barton’s coaching team.

It also sees Pressley face the club he managed from 2015-16.

Carlisle’s boss added: “It’s another step up.

“It might be a different test [from Tuesday at Chester] in terms of the football – the football might be a little bit more pure, but it will be a standard much higher than Tuesday.

“There will be a couple of people who are familiar to me in their backroom staff and it will be good to see them again.”

United’s family fun day is being held at Brunton Park from 11am with Pressley and players available for autographs and photos from 11.30pm-1pm.