Dave Challinor drops Hartlepool United team selection hints ahead of Solihull Moors clash as he ponders Gavan Holohan return

Holohan was shown a red card at Barnet a fortnight ago, and Pools went on to win their following match against Aldershot Town 2-0 while the Irish midfielder commentated from the press box.

The 28-year-old has been a key player under Challinor, with eight goals and seven assists to his name so far this season.

But his return from suspension will not guarantee an immediate recall to the side ahead of today’s trip to Solihull Moors (3pm kick-off).

“I'm not sure he’ll ‘pay the price’ for the suspension, but it’s a tough one,” Challinor said.

“It was a stupid, honest mistake in a game where every foul ended up in a booking and I suppose he was a victim of that.

“It shows that a little thing can leave you out of the team, and once you do that you're leaving it down to chance that the rest of the team don't perform and don't keep winning.

“But that's the nature of football – it keeps changing quickly.

“The lads that are in the side need to make sure that when the chance comes around that they do everything they can to take it, and then jump up that ladder a little bit.”

Following last weekend’s comfortable win over Aldershot at Victoria Park, Challinor admitted it will be difficult to make any changes this afternoon, in a game that could go a long way to affecting Pools’ hopes of making the play-offs.

“Yeah of course [it will be difficult],” he added.

“You want players pushing as much as possible and there will be decisions I make based on how we think the game is going to go.

“Lads will sometimes do themselves no harm in terms of performing well, and I’ll make a decision that we have to go a different way – there's nothing they can do about that.

“If 95% of the team play well, my job would be easy because it’s just a case of tweaking tactics.

“If I could go into the dressing room and say 'same side, same subs', then I would be made up.”