Carlisle boss Steven Pressley has reported mixed news on the injury front - with one defender on the way back but another potentially sidelined.

The United manager said Macaulay Gillesphey could be available for selection in two weeks' time as he returns from knee surgery.

But fellow left-sided centre-half Peter Grant is a fresh doubt after failing to complete training yesterday. The January signing is being assessed by physio Neil Dalton.

“We had a little bit of a setback with Peter Grant in the sense that he wasn’t able to continue in training," Pressley said.

"I’m still waiting on the full assessment and the outcome of that. I hope it’s nothing serious. We’ll see."

It has not been confirmed exactly what injury former Plymouth man Grant may have suffered.

Gillesphey, meanwhile, is on the comeback trail after being sidelined for more than two months.

The ex-Newcastle defender is back on the training pitch and targeting a comeback soon.

"The good news is that Macca returned to not full training, but an involvement with the group [yesterday]," Pressley said.

"We hope within the next week he’ll be able to return fully to training.

"That’s a real positive. It gives us a bit more resource in the defensive area where we’ve been lacking a little bit.

"I think in a couple of weeks' time he'll be available for consideration."

Pressley said Gillesphey could figure in reserve friendlies to boost his fitness.

He added: "In many cases [at this stage of the season] you have to push people back without the appropriate game time behind them, but that’s the nature of where we are just now.

"When I came into the club he [Gillesphey] was only involved in the first couple of games from the bench, with a scheduled operation already in place.

"I haven’t managed to see a lot of him but I’m certainly looking forward to getting him back amongst it."

Should Grant join Gillesphey on the sidelines it could see 16-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite remain in the first-team picture.

The Wigton-based defender, who recently signed professional terms, was on the bench for the first time for Saturday's draw at Forest Green.

Pressley said: "Although we don’t want the [injury] situation and we are a little bit short on the ground, it gives the young players like Branthwaite the chance to be involved in the first-team.

"That type of involvement’s invaluable. There’s always positives when you have disappointments in terms of injuries. It gives the young players that chance. For some of them they are the real future of the club."