Carlisle United vs Crewe Alexandra. Sky Bet League Two.
Brunton ParkAttendance4,467.
Friday 12 January 2018 14:11, UK
Carlisle boss Keith Curle could hand striker Sam Cosgrove his full home league debut against Crewe.
Cosgrove made his first league start in the recent defeat at Mansfield and kept his place for last week's FA Cup draw against Sheffield Wednesday.
Reggie Lambe is doubtful after rolling his ankle against Wednesday and fellow midfielder Luke Joyce will also be assessed after missing the last six games due to an unspecified injury. Kelvin Etuhu (ankle), plus midfield pair Jason Kennedy and Nicky Adams all remained sidelined.
Crewe will be without defender Perry Ng as he begins a four-match suspension after accepting a violent conduct charge. The retrospective charge - not seen by match officials but caught on video - relates to the stoppage-time dismissal of Cambridge's Jabo Ibehre during the 3-1 defeat at the Abbey Stadium on December 30.
Further bad news for Crewe has seen Jamie Jones suffer a setback in his recovery from injury. The midfielder has been plague by pelvic problems this season but has now suffered knee ligament damage in training and will not play again this campaign.
Paul Green has been brought in on loan from Oldham as cover and he will go straight into the squad on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ryan Wintle (broken leg) and George Ray (back) have made their long-awaited returns from injury with run outs for the Under-23 team but are still not ready for first team action.
Carlisle won the first meeting between these sides this season 5-0 back in September, their biggest win in any competition so far this season; they scored more goals in that match than they had netted in their previous six against Crewe in the EFL (four goals - W1 D2 L3).
In fact, that victory was the seventh time Carlisle have scored at least five goals against Crewe in a league match - only against Hartlepool United (eight) have they achieved this feat more often in their Football League history.
The Railwaymen were 2-0 winners away at Carlisle in League Two last season; they haven't won back-to-back games there in the Football League since December 1993.
The Cumbrians have won just two of their last 11 home games in the Football League (D5 L4), keeping just one clean sheet in that time.
Crewe have won as many away league matches in their last four games (W2 L2), as they had in their previous 12 combined (W2 L10).
