Townsend banned for Cumbrians
Carlisle will be without suspended defender Conor Townsend for the home game against Crewe.
Townsend, on loan from Hull, was sent off for two yellow card offences in the weekend draw at Rotherham and sits out a one-game ban, but he will be back for the final game of his loan spell at Swindon on Saturday.
Prince Buaben has missed the last two games due to illness but could return to contention, while fellow midfielder Paul Thirlwell played the full 90 minutes at Rotherham despite carrying a knock.
Goalkeeper Ben Amos, on loan from Manchester United, is expected to retain his place with Greg Fleming on the substitutes' bench.
Midfield duo Bradden Inman and Anthony Grant could be left out of the Crewe squad once more.
The two summer signings were surprisingly omitted from the Alex's matchday 18 against Port Vale at the weekend with boss Steve Davis claiming certain players had missed the 2-1 defeat because of a "sheer lack of effort and attitude".
Although the Railwaymen's winless run extended to seven games, Davis was encouraged by his team's performance at the weekend so Inman and Grant could continue to be given the cold shoulder.
Promising teenager Ryan Colclough could be absent through illness having already missed large parts of the season with hip, groin and hamstring injuries while strikers Mathias Pogba (knee) and Max Clayton (ankle) are among those missing again.
Source: PA
