Carlisle are hoping for some long-awaited good news on the injury front, with Morgan Feeney and Omari Patrick hopeful of returning to face Crewe.
Feeney has missed the last two games with a hamstring complaint but could return at centre-half, while Patrick is also pushing for a place in attack.
Striker Ryan Edmondson is also making progress with his own ankle problem, but the likes of Tobi Sho-Silva, Ben Barclay, Josh Dixon, Brennan Dickenson and Joel Senior are all out.
Crewe have also had a fitness setback, with key midfielder Callum Ainley sustaining a shoulder injury that requires surgery.
He could be unavailable for three months, leaving a gap for an attacking midfielder.
Oli Finney will not be the man to fill it, though, as he could be missing for a month after injuring his foot in an under-23s match.
Eli King and Zac Williams are back from the Wales age-group system but Chris Long remains a long-term injury.
