Steven Pressley says he will not rush Hallam Hope back into the starting line-up after the forward’s return to action for Carlisle United.

Hope came off the bench in Tuesday’s cup win at Barnsley for his first outing of the season.

It came after he recovered from hamstring and back problems which he had suffered since pre-season.

Pressley welcomed the return of last season’s top scorer and Hope is likely to have another bench role against Mansfield this weekend.

United’s boss said: “I’m not sure he’s quite ready to start – we’ll see how he progresses in training this week – but it was pleasing to have him out there.

“He certainly made an impact at an important time and gave us extra legs.”

Carlisle’s attack is again likely to hinge on the efforts of Harry McKirdy and Nathan Thomas, both of whom impressed at Oakwell.

McKirdy scored his second of the campaign and won the penalty for United’s second goal, while Thomas opened his account for the season.

Pressley said both players are key to Carlisle’s fortunes this season.

“I think when you’ve got McKirdy and the likes of Thomas, these are the types of players who in tight games can create the moments,” United’s manager said.

“In League Two these types of game-breakers are really important. Last year we had the likes of [Jamie] Devitt, then we brought Thomas in, now we have McKirdy and Nathan again.

“They’re really important to us – when you’re against tight opponents they can open the doors.

“Nathan also performed really well at the weekend [at Swindon] where we didn’t get him enough of the ball.

“Nathan has shown why we were so desperate to get him here. Nathan’s not a League Two player, but there are reasons he’s here and why we work with him and try to improve him.

“I think he’s getting better at the things I would regard as his deficiencies. He’s trying, improving and his contribution since the start of the season has been excellent.

“As for Harry, he’s a lively boy, but he’s a likeable lad with great talent.

“We need ‘make the difference’ players. They’re proving that at this moment but it’s only two or three games. It’s about doing it week after week after week.”

Pressley also said consistency is the aim for his whole team as they prepare for Mansfield’s visit.

He expects his side to be able to shrug off the rigours of Tuesday’s cup win when they entertain John Dempster’s side.

“We’ll prepare as we always do,” he said. “It’s a lot to do with the players and one of the reasons we had the tough pre-season is I hope, from a Tuesday night game, we can recover sufficiently and be ready to go on Saturday.

“It’s a gruelling programme for us but I think if we’re going to be successful, consistency is going to be key.

“Come Saturday we’ve got to be ready again, against a very strong Mansfield side that will play slightly differently to [Barnsley], and we have to adapt and be ready for that.”

Pressley said his attempt to turn United into a successful outfit is still in its infancy.

He added: “When you’re trying to build something and create something, it doesn’t happen overnight.

“We keep working and working and working. There are certain aspects we learn from, that we move on from, but one thing is we continue to build and improve, that’s what we’re trying to do.

“After the first Saturday [against Crawley] everybody was on a high, and we’d shown real flashes in pre-season what we’re capable of. Then we had the disappointment [at Swindon], but there were no wholesale changes.

“We know how we want to operate and build, and it will take time, but [Tuesday’s] performance justifies some of the work we’re doing and the way we’re trying to play.”

Mansfield will be seeking their first win of the season having drawn their first three games 2-2, including Tuesday night’s cup tie against Morecambe, when they lost 6-5 on penalties.

Summer signing Andy Cook, the former Blues striker, should be in the Stags’ squad. But Jacob Mellis and Matt Preston are suspended.