Hartlepool United injury news: Full crisis assessed plus when Walsall loanee and ex-Newcastle United defender could return

Interim boss Curle has a number of injury concerns within his squad, particularly in defence - an area already low on options and will be hoping for some positive news ahead of the FA Cup tie with Solihull Moors and in the coming weeks.

And, here at The Mail, we take you through the latest injury concerns at the Suit Direct Stadium.

Who are Pools currently missing through injury?

At the time of writing, it remains a pretty lengthy list in which Curle is dealing with when it comes to injuries. The interim boss suggested ahead of the win over Grimsby the club are having ‘all of their negatives now’ as injuries and illnesses mount up.

Curle said he was ‘seven or eight’ players down before the weekend, with none of those making a return to the squad to face the Mariners. At last count, those who are missing include Jamie Sterry, Rollin Menayese, Mouhamed Niang, Mark Shelton, Tom Crawford, Joe Grey and Jack Hamilton, while captain Nicky Featherstone has only just returned from a lengthy lay off ahead of schedule and Chris Maguire remains unavailable.

What injuries are those players dealing with?

The injuries plaguing the squad range from muscle problems to, potentially, more serious issues - Menayese’s ankle injury in particular one of concern.

Not all injuries have been disclosed but, as The Mail understands, Sterry (calf), Menayese (ankle), Niang (hamstring), Shelton (calf) and Grey (concussion) while both Hamilton and Crawford continue to deal with knocks.

When are we likely to see some of these players return?

Curle likes to keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to revealing the injury status of his players, as seen when telling The Mail: “Other managers will pick up on the information that we put out there, so why do I need to give them any advantage whatsoever?”

It makes it difficult to gauge when some players are likely to return but Pools should see one or two of those players back over the coming weeks.

Teenage striker Grey is at the end of his concussion protocol and could well be the first player back in contention. Grey came off the bench in the defeat at Harrogate Town before suffering the head injury in training but the youngster was at the Suit Direct Stadium for the visit of Grimsby, albeit not involved in the squad.

Strike partner Hamilton has been seen back on the grass ahead of the Salford City game at the Suit Direct Stadium being put through some preliminary running drills which could suggest he is nearing a return. The Livingston loan striker has been missing since being forced off early in the second half of the defeat against Carlisle United.

Sterry pulled up with a calf problem ahead of the defeat at Swindon Town. The ex-Newcastle United defender has endured a difficult time with varying injuries this season and will be hoping the severity of strain allows him a swift return.

The 26-year-old has been at the club’s Maiden Castle training base but it is unknown whether he has been taking part in full sessions. Much will depend on the grading of his soleus injury, with a first degree injury likely to see him out of action for up to three weeks, while a second degree injury could be double that.

The same will likely be the case for Shelton, who came off early in the defeat at Swindon. The midfielder could be seen clutching at his calf and has not been involved since, while midfielder Niang has also missed out after coming off at the County Ground.

Niang picked up a hamstring problem after assisting Clarke Oduor’s goal against the Robins, with his absence also determined by the grade of his hamstring issue with three to eight weeks suggested for low grade strains.

Another player who has not featured since the defeat at Swindon is Crawford. The midfielder seemingly picked up a knock as he could be seen receiving treatment, although he was able to complete the full 90 minutes.

Walsall loan defender Menayese remains, perhaps, the most important player Pools would like to see return given their lack of options in defence should anything happen to Alex Lacey or Euan Murray. The 24-year-old has been missing since the 2-1 win over Doncaster Rovers after picking up an ankle injury with Curle admitting to The Mail he has been required to receive a second opinion on the injury at the request of his parent club.

“They wanted a second opinion and we abide by their wishes because we know he’s their player. So he’s gone and had a second opinion and now we’re waiting on the written confirmation of what we thought it was in the first place,” Curle revealed.

The Mail understands the club, internally, are hopeful Menayese’s injury will be weeks rather than months, but much may depend on the outcome of the secondary scan.

What are the alternatives?

In short, not a lot.

Curle has already had to draft in young defender Louis Stephenson from the club's academy to fill a space on the bench in case of an emergency. And that emergency could soon become a reality with centre-back Lacey now walking the tightrope on four yellow cards.

An FA Cup tie against non-league opposition may be an opportunity for Curle to test Stephenson in the likelihood he could be required in the league over the next month.

Curle has stressed he has not been able to identify any value for money in the free agent market which suggests any further defensive reinforcements may have to wait until January with Pools, perhaps, set to ride out their injury storm.