Chris Beech will take a first look at Nick Anderton in a Carlisle United shirt today as the Blues continue their efforts to make more signings.

The left-back will face his former club when the Blues go to Blackpool in this afternoon’s Central League Cup reserve game (kick-off 2pm).

It will give Anderton the chance to build up his match fitness ahead of first-team involvement. Anderton joined from the Bloomfield Road club last week and was an unused sub in Saturday’s draw at Oldham.

Beech hopes the 23-year-old will benefit from today’s run-out having missed recent months with injury.

Asked how much game time Anderton would need, the Carlisle head coach said: “He’ll need some – he’s been out for a bit, not just [in terms of] playing for Blackpool, but he’s recovered from an injury, which has enabled us from a business perspective to recruit him.

“We’ve done very well, and worked hard with Blackpool to make sure a player of his quality could come to our club.

“He comes with League One experience, as well as great non-league experience at Barrow. He’s been a transferred player – Blackpool paid a lot of money for him – and he was excellent last season for 22 [league] games at Accrington.

“It was in the first half of the season after they had got promoted – they were in the top half of League One, then he got recalled and wasn’t really used.

“I’m really pleased we’ve got a player like that – he’s young enough to go again.”

Beech may use today’s game to cast a further eye on Joshua Kayode, the Rotherham loanee who made his debut as a sub at Oldham.

Those out of the side, including Mo Sagaf and Jack Iredale, are likely to figure.

It also remains to be seen how many of those recently omitted from the matchday squad completely will get an outing against Simon Grayson’s second string.

United are still trying to bring more players in with 10 days left in the transfer window, while the Blues would like to move on some of those currently out-of-favour, including certain loanees.

Beech admitted it was not a straightforward situation and said: “If the lads aren’t gonna be playing I’m sure they don’t really want to be here.

“But at the same time, everybody – while they are here and representing us, and get paid by us – have to do their jobs, that’s where we are at the moment.

“Like I said about recruitment, it’s the same with [this]. They are in contracts; it means [parent] clubs that own their contracts have to recall them.

“If they don’t recall them, that’s because they’re more or less saying they don’t want them, and they’re their players.

“We’ve got to try and find that balance between it all. I want any young man playing football, but I can only pick 11.”

Second-bottom Stevenage, meanwhile, added to their squad yesterday with the signing of former Norwich striker Simeon Jackson, who recently left Kilmarnock.