Keith Curle coy over Hartlepool United injury stance ahead of Grimsby Town visit

Curle has been without a number of players in recent games as Pools have dropped to the bottom of the League Two table with five straight defeats in all competitions. And ahead of the visit of Grimsby Town to the Suit Direct Stadium, Curle remained coy over whether we can expect the return of some of his players, including the likes of Jamie Sterry and Mouhamed Niang.

Sterry pulled up with a calf injury ahead of the defeat at Swindon Town while Niang was forced off in the first half against the Robins with a hamstring injury. Niang was joined by Mark Shelton who also came off in the defeat at the County Ground with a calf problem while midfielder Tom Crawford picked up a knock.

All four missed the defeat to Salford City while defender Rollin Menayese continues to miss out with an ankle problem which has required him to see a specialist. Forward duo Joe Grey and Jack Hamilton have been missing for a number of weeks - Grey coming towards the end of his concussion protocol but unlikely to feature against Grimsby.

And Curle has revealed there may also be one or two illnesses within the squad to add to what is a challenging period for the interim boss.

“We’re going through an horrendous time at the minute with injuries and illness within the squad, but you’d rather have it now than at the end of the season,” said Curle.

“I don’t want to give too much information away because other managers will pick up on the information that we put out there, so why do I need to give them any advantage whatsoever? But I don’t want to mislead you and say they’re all fit. So I’d rather just say they’re working hard on their progression to be available."