Injury update on Hartlepool United defender Liam Donnelly

Pools are without a game this weekend, with their clash against Leyton Orient being postponed due to the Londoners’ involvement in the FA Trophy.

On the injury front, that may be no bad thing for Harrison and Co, as it gives the likes of Donnelly, who had to withdraw from the starting XI after picking up an injury in the warm-up at Eastleigh, the chance to recover.

“He just went over on his ankle,” said Harrison about the Northern Irish defender’s knock.

“After that, it just swelled up and, for that reason, we pulled him out of the game.

“But, moving forward, it is nothing sinister.

“This kind of thing has happened to us on a number of occasions now, but, with no game, it should give him and others a chance to get back fit.”

Harrison is hopeful that three of his other injured bodies could be back in contention by the time the National League trip to Barrow comes around next weekend.

Ryan Donaldson, Luke George and Rhys Oates could all be declared fit for the clash in eight days time.

“This time now gives the likes of Liam to get back fit,” said Harrison.

“I would hope, by the time the next game comes around, we will have Luke George, Ryan Donaldson and Rhys Oates back fit, too.”

One player who almost ended his Victoria Park stay at the end of the January window was Michael Woods.

The midfielder has been the club’s form player in recent weeks, netting a remarkable seven goals in his last nine games since the Boxing Day draw with Gateshead.

That form caught the eye of a number of Football League clubs, with Exeter City and Stevenage both tabling offers for the 27-year-old in the closing days of the month. But, despite Pools’ financial plight, they knocked back the moves.

And Harrison knows his team would be much weaker without the former Chelsea and Leeds United man, who he has compared to another, more illustrious Stamford Bridge hero.

“He picks up good positions like Frank Lampard used to,” Harrison said of Woods.

“We have always know he could get into the positions, but he needed to work on his finishing.

“And, to be fair to him, after the conversations we had, he has gone away and done that.

“He is now showing he has that confidence when he gets into the position to take the chances. That was something that was maybe missing before.”