Hartlepool United defender Jamie Sterry a doubt as Dave Challinor contemplates changes for Altrincham trip

Pools beat the league leaders 1-0 at Plainmoor to close the gap at the top of the table to just goal difference.

But with a quick turnaround in matches, some squad rotation may be in order as Hartlepool look to go top of the table with a win at the J Davidson Stadium.

They could be without key defender Jamie Sterry, who has been in exceptional form since first arriving back in December. The 25-year-old right-back played the full 90-minutes at Torquay despite picking up an injury in the previous match at Halifax Town.

When discussing potential changes, Challinor told The Mail: “We’ll be guided by the players and how they feel.

“We may have to make changes – we risked Jamie at Torquay because we felt the game was massively important for us to win playing against a direct rival and it’s no secret how crucial Jamie is for us.

"We went into the game knowing that if Jamie played then he’d potentially not play on Tuesday but we’ll see how he is. He’s a bit sore but we’re comfortable knowing that we’ve got players who can come in and do a job if needed on Tuesday.

"We’ll see how our bodies are and the players are honest enough to say when they’re not bang at it.

"But I couldn’t say any of them who played at Torquay wouldn’t play at Altrincham because it was a great performance and they’re full of confidence from it.”

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