Right-back Christie Elliott is set to miss Carlisle United’s home game against Macclesfield this weekend through an ankle injury and will visit a specialist next week.

Blues boss Steven Pressley today said the 28-year-old has been playing with the problem for some time.

It means United will be forced into at least two defensive changes when they play cash-strapped Macclesfield on Saturday in their League Two match at Brunton Park (3pm kick-off), with centre-back Byron Webster also missing out as he serves a one-match ban after last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient.

Pressley’s 20th-placed side will hope to build on that result, which ended a run of four successive league losses, with an overdue home league win.

But the Cumbrians may also be without Stefan Scougall who is a doubt with a recurrence of a hamstring injury.

The United manager said: “At this moment in time, Scougall is a doubt for the weekend.

"Christie Elliott is out. He is going to see a specialist on Tuesday regarding a problematic ankle [problem] that he has had for several years now, and it’s flared up a little bit.

"We, obviously, have a suspension to Byron Webster at the weekend, as well."

Asked how long he predicted former Partick Thistle man Elliott’s absence could be, Pressley replied: “It’s difficult to say how long.

"We will know for sure after Tuesday. We hope it won’t be any significant period out, but we can’t guarantee that until he sees the specialist.”

Pressley says the enforced absences could mean Carlisle end up fielding an “exceptionally young team” against the 15th-placed Silkmen, who have ex-Carlisle man Arthur Gnahoua in their squad.

“That’s something that excites me and is something that’s part of the plan, moving forward,” he added. “This will be a real test for us.

"If we have a young and energetic side, it will be a game where they will need the supporters to be fully behind them.

"I’m really excited by that.”

Reports this week have suggested Macclesfield’s players and staff have been told by the club they will not be paid October’s wages on time.

It comes after a winding-up petition against the club was adjourned for a sixth time in six months last week.

But Pressley says his focus is on his side, and not what is happening at the Cheshire club.

“How they approach the game from a psychological aspect, I don’t know,” he said.

“I don’t know the spirit within the club, I don’t know the relationship between the management and the staff, so it would be wrong for me to comment.

"So, really, all we can focus on is our own preparation.

“This was the first week in some time that we have managed to have the vast majority of the players together, and [we] worked on a couple of aspects that we really wanted to improve on the training ground.

"Hopefully, that will result in a good performance at the weekend."

United's Under-18s, meanwhile, are at home to Preston on Saturday morning (11am kick-off).

The match comes after they came from behind at Salford on Wednesday night to win 3-2 and progressed into the second round of the FA Youth Cup, courtesy of goals from Taylor Charters, Lewis Bell and captain Tom Wilson.

Eric Kinder’s side will host Bradford in the next round.