Carlisle United still do not know when Kelvin Etuhu will be ready to return from injury, manager Steven Pressley has revealed.

The Blues had hoped to welcome the powerful midfielder back this autumn after a long-term hamstring problem.

But Etuhu is now facing a series of injections over several weeks, after a consultation with a specialist.

United hope that will finally see Etuhu close to fitness but his continued absence remains a frustration for player and manager.

“Kelvin has to ease off just now,” Pressley said.

“He has been to see a specialist and at this stage we still don’t know how long he’s going to be.

“The consultant is going to do a series of injections over several weeks and the hope is that will assist his recovery.”

Etuhu, 31, made 41 appearances in the 2018/19 campaign until a severe hamstring tear ended his season in April.

His regular displays in the United side triggered a new contact last winter which kept him at Brunton Park for this term.

Pressley said he hopes for better fortunes for Etuhu on the fitness front as soon as possible.

“I spoke to him on the phone [about it on Tuesday], because it’s not easy when you’ve been out the length of time he has,” United’s manager said.

“We just have to keep working with him and hope that through the treatment he’s going to receive over the next month or so, we’ll see good improvements.”

There is more positive news on Stefan Scougall, though, with Pressley saying the Scottish midfielder is “probably a week to 10 days away” from fitness.

He has also been sidelined with a hamstring injury which has seen him miss United’s last six games.

Pressley rested a number of senior players for Tuesday’s Leasing.com Trophy game against Wolves’ under-21s and is likely to recall many of them against Oldham in the league on Saturday.

In midfield that will see Mike Jones and Mo Sagaf back involved, but Jack Bridge will serve a one-match ban having been sent off at Bradford last weekend.

Pressley fielded Bridge in Tuesday’s cup game. He said: “I had a team in mind for [the Wolves] game prior to the weekend and Bridge wasn’t involved in that.

“Obviously on the back of that, with him missing Saturday now, we felt it would be important he got another 90 minutes under his belt.

“I have one or two options and considerations [for Oldham], and the other thing is I’m aware we have a number of players on four bookings just now and that’s another concern.

“We’ll certainly, over the coming weeks, have a couple of decisions to make.”

Those on four bookings, and one yellow card from a one-game ban, are Byron Webster, Nathaniel Knight-Percival and Jack Iredale.