Jamie Devitt’s season looks to be over with a suspected torn hamstring, Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson says.

The midfielder suffered the injury after coming on as a substitute in the Blues’ 3-2 defeat to Salford City.

Devitt looked disconsolate as he went off in the closing stages.

And manager Simpson said: “Jamie I think has torn his hamstring which has been the story of Dev’s season and his last few years, so that’s him done for the season I think.

“It’s horrible for him, I don’t know which leg it was but it was when he made the run down into the corner.

“He knew it was gone, he wanted to stay on but there was no point – we had to finish the game with nine men.

“He would have been a liability being out there but for his own health and safety it wouldn’t have been the right thing to do.”

It was the latest injury in a season when Devitt has been plagued by such problems, limiting his availability for the Blues.

It is now possible the popular midfielder has played his last game for United depending on Simpson’s post-season contract decision.

The manager added of the injury: “That’s probably the reason why, when everyone’s clamouring for Jamie Devitt to be starting, we have to take those things into account that we weren’t confident he would start a game and get 60-70 minutes.

“I'm gutted for Dev because he is a top, top character to have around. Everybody could see how gutted he was when he went off and we’ve just got to look after him now.”

Devitt is now expected to miss United's last game of the season at Sutton United on Monday week as well as the play-offs.

It was another blow on a day Carlisle saw Jon Mellish sent off for retaliation against Elliot Watt, with the defender facing a three-game ban unless the Blues overturn the suspension on appeal.

The Cumbrians are already without JK Gordon for two more games through his retrospective ban over an incident in last weekend's win at Barrow.