After picking up an injury in the first-half of Carlisle United's tie with Northampton Town last weekend, Brennan Dickenson is under assessment by the club as they look to get him fit to return as soon as possible. 

Manager Keith Millen has made it clear he wants the winger to return to action as quickly as possible. The 28-year-old has made 15 appearances so far in the league this season and has scored two goals. He has been a key player on the left side of the midfield playing 82% of possible league minutes this season.

“We’re being careful with him,” Millen told the club. “With a dead leg, even though it’s settled down, if you get another whack on it you get more bleeding in the muscle and you can have complications.

“He’s done some work, but non-contact. We’ll assess him in the next couple of days, but everyone else is fine."

Carlisle have won none of their last six league games, with four losses and two draws. It's been a disappointing season so far with only two wins in their 15 games this season so having players out injured is definitely not going to help their chances. Millen knows that the squad is struggling to keep a positive mindset with their recent run of form but believes there is a way to overcome it.

“They’re disappointed with what’s going on at the moment. I can see that in them. They want to be guided to something that’s hopefully going to give them success. They’re listening, they’re trying their hardest. That’s all you can ask as a coach.

“I’ve got to make sure they understand what we’re trying to get across to them, not over-complicate it, try and keep it simple for now, and then try and develop an identity to what we’re doing."

There are rumours that Millen will look to add to the squad in order to change their run of form. However, Millen was unwilling to comment on the matter, continuing: “That’s them learning about me as I’m still learning on how to get the best out of this group of players. I don’t want to talk about the January transfer window, we’ve got so many games from now until then, it’s disrespectful to the group."

The Verdict

Dickenson is a key player to Carlisle and although they are trying to nurture his injury it is important to get him back to the squad a quick as possible as they look to fight for survival.

Adding to the squad could be a possibility but with Millen unwilling to talk on the subject it makes it difficult to see what reinforcements could be bought in, making Dickenson's return all the more important.