Keith Curle explains decision to overlook Hartlepool United's ex-Bournemouth and Kilmarnock striker

Ndjoli, like several other summer signings this season, has had a difficult start to life at the Suit Direct Stadium having enjoyed a relatively successful season with Aldershot Town in the National League.

The former Kilmarnock striker arrived a week before the start of the season and would pick up an untimely injury in the clubs final pre-season fixture against Sunderland in July - keeping the 24-year-old out of the side for the opening month of the campaign.

Ndjoli announced himself in the Papa Johns Trophy win over Harrogate Town with two clever finishes before suffering another slight injury setback.

The arrival of Curle as manager in September seemed to ignite Ndjoli, with the striker starting his first two games in charge before finding himself on the bench and, at times, out of the squad altogether.

Ndjoli’s last appearance came in October’s 2-0 defeat to Salford City when coming off the bench for the final 10 minutes, with the striker left out of Hartlepool’s most recent squad at Crawley Town.

But asked why Ndjoli has not been considered from the bench in recent months, Curle told The Mail there is always a reason why players are not involved.

“Players that are not playing, there’s a reason why. They’re on that level of improvement,” he said.

“How quickly they can get to the levels that I require is ultimately down to them. They’ve got a good understanding of what I want and what I need from them, if they don’t do it that’s down to them.

“Some people are slower learners than others and what you find is the slower learners have less game time. It’s not a secret.”

Ndjoli is one of a number of players who have struggled for game time in recent weeks with the likes of Brody Paterson, Wes McDonald and Joe Grey limited in their minutes - former Celtic full-back Paterson another who was left out of the trip to Crawley recently.