Newcastle United defender Lewis Cass and former Norwich City youngster Timi Odusina suspended for Hartlepool United with Ryan Johnson and Ryan Donaldson set to return for King’s Lynn Town trip

Odusina is suspended for one game after picking up two yellow cards in Saturday’s goalless draw against Eastleigh while Cass is serving the second of his three match suspension following a straight red card at Altrincham last Tuesday.

Jamie Sterry is also a doubt after playing the full 90-minutes at Victoria Park on Saturday but captain Ryan Donaldson and defender Ryan Johnson will be back in contention for the trip to The Walks.

“[The suspensions] make it harder for us,” admitted Hartlepool manager Dave Challinor ahead of the game.

"Unfortunately with Timi, you can’t appeal two yellows regardless of it being right or wrong.

"But we’re okay, Jamie got through the game and managed himself through it. We didn’t risk Johno [against Eastleigh] but he comes into contention on Tuesday.

"We weren’t going to risk Johno and Jamie because it would have risked us having two of them plus Cass out for King’s Lynn.

"Cass will be out and Timi will be out but we’ve got people who can come in. Ryan [Donaldson] will be back so if we want to keep the same [three at the back] shape we can do that.”

Pools go into the game sitting second in the National League table, four points behind leaders Sutton United, who have three games in hand.

But Challinor refused to use his side’s recent injury and suspension predicament as an excuse as they prepare to face a struggling Linnets side who sit third bottom.

"We have to deal with it and it’s the cards we’ve been dealt and we can’t use it as an excuse because every player in our squad will be telling me they should be starting,” he added. “If they get the chance then they need to take it.

"Sutton went down [to King’s Lynn] and won 1-0 [on Saturday] so it’s by no means a case of a top of the league turning up against a team lower down and smashing them. That’s not what the league is about.

"They’ve ground out a result and we’ve got to do that on Tuesday. We’ve watched [King’s Lynn] and we’ll be picking a team looking to go and win.”

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