Carlisle United will play their latest pre-season game today – but it is not open to supporters.

The Blues take on Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton.

But it is a behind-closed door encounter which Blues boss Paul Simpson will use as a training game.

It will be another chance for first-team players to get some important minutes into their legs with less than three weeks left before the start of the season.

It will also allow Simpson and coaches to work on certain aspects without the normal constraints of a 90-minute public fixture.

United had not intended to publicise the game but the fixture was announced by Morton several weeks ago.

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Manager Simpson recently explained how the game was arranged – and also spoke of his frustration that details had been put into the public domain – at a recent fans’ forum.

Asked why the match was not open to fans, the Carlisle boss said: “I wanted a training game – a game we can manage ourselves, so it’s not 2x45 minutes – we can do it how we want.

“All of pre-season is an extension of the training. That’s what it’s about.

“[This] was a training game we asked to organise. Once the Scottish [Premier Sports] Cup draw was made and we knew who was going to be available on one days, we put a circular around and we heard back from Greenock Morton.

“It was my idea as part of training to do it behind closed doors and they agreed to it.

“For whatever reason, they decided to promote it as one of their pre-season fixtures, whereas for me it’s one of my pre-season training days.

“I don’t know why they did it. It’s actually caused us a real problem, I’ll be honest with you.

“It’s not because I’m trying to be secretive. Just look at our training ground, we can’t be secretive – there are no big screens up or gates we can lock. I accept that.

“But it’s caused us a problem because I didn’t want it made public that we were playing a game.

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“When I design the pre-season programme I don’t just think, ‘Right, that’s a good idea, I’ll do that’. I do a bit of thinking into it.

“I felt as though we had enough public games to be out there, I didn’t want any more public games.

“It’s just how I wanted to structure our pre-season plan. As it is now, it’s going to be a behind closed doors game without any doors to close.

“But it’s still going to be a training game – an extension of training.”

United have played three pre-season games so far – against Penrith, Kendal Town and most recently Workington Reds on Saturday.

Dougie Imrie’s Morton, meanwhile, played their first competitive game of the season against Falkirk on Saturday in the Premier Sports Cup, drawing 0-0 and losing 5-4 on penalties as their visitors claimed a bonus point.

It will not be the only training game United play before the start of the season.

“We’re also going to be playing a game up at Largs, which will be an extension of training,” Simpson added, speaking about the club's training camp north of the border next week.

“I think we are playing enough public games where the supporters can come and watch, and hopefully that will be enough for everyone to see what we’re going to be like come the first game of the season.”

United’s next game open to fans is this Saturday’s visit of League One side Bolton Wanderers to Brunton Park.