Anthony Mancini injury update as Hartlepool United quartet near return

Hartlepool head into the busy Christmas schedule in the National League still struggling with a number of injuries throughout their squad. John Askey’s side face three games in a week over the Christmas period with trips to Wealdstone and Oldham Athletic, as well as the reverse fixture at home to the Latics on Boxing Day.

And Askey may have to go with the majority of the squad he has got after providing an injury update on the likes of Luke Hendrie, Alex Lacey, Tom Crawford and Mancini.

Hendrie has been dealing with a thigh injury which would later aggravate a past hip problem while Lacey has been out since the end of October with an ankle injury. Crawford, like Lacey, picked up an ankle injury with Mancini out of action since August with a hamstring problem.

"It’ll be more like Oxford City before we get one or two back, but hopefully we can keep everybody else fit until they are back and have a little bit of luck,” explained Askey.

"Tom Crawford is running again so he should be back around Boxing Day. Luke had an injection which once that settles down we’re hoping he will be back in around three weeks, and so will Alex.

“We haven’t got a huge squad so we have to play more often than not with the same players.”

French midfielder Mancini, however, remains the player most supporters will be keen to see back in action after stepping up his return from a severe hamstring injury. The midfielder has been back training with the club over the course of the last month with the Christmas period being initially targeted, although Askey has hinted it may still be a number of weeks before the 22-year-old can be considered for selection.

"He’s started to join in with training,” said Askey. “He’s virtually done everything but we’re guarded against him doing too much.

"The last thing we want to do is for him to come back and break down, so it’ll be a couple of weeks before we can pick him if everything goes to plan.”