Dave Challinor provides injury update as Jamie Sterry remains a doubt for Hartlepool United's trip to Leyton Orient with Neill Byrne set to miss out

Former Newcastle United defender Sterry pulled up in the first half of Saturday’s win over Harrogate Town before being replaced by Reagan Ogle while centre back Byrne earned his fifth yellow card of the season, much to the frustration of boss Dave Challinor.

Pools head to Brisbane Road in search of back-to-back away wins after sealing their first three points on the road in the win over Bradford City.

“We’re early in the week so any potential injuries we’ve got a little bit of time for them to clear up,” said Challinor.

“The only one who’ll be a question mark will be Jamie with coming off in the game, we’ll have to see how he is. He’s the one we potentially give as long as we can to.

“We’ve got a smallish squad and obviously have players who are massively important and if we need to bite the bullet and not risk Jamie for one game, but that means he can play the next 20, then that’s the way we’ll look at things.

“Reagan came on and did well and gives us different strengths to what Jamie does. So if we have to make a change we’re pretty comfortable with the change we’ve got to make.

“Ideally you want to go into the game without making any changes in terms of personnel. But through injury and suspension over the course of the season you have to do that. Players need to step in and do a job and take their opportunities.”

And one of those who misses out through suspension is Byrne who is likely to be replaced by the returning Gary Liddle after picking up a one match ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.

And speaking after Saturday’s win over Harrogate Challinor was left irritated by the 28-year-old’s caution.

“It's a rubbish booking. I had a go at him half time. You have to play the game between your ears,” he said.

“I get that booking if you’re on one booking. You don’t make that foul if you’re on four bookings. That’s just naive beyond naive and he’ll pay the price for that and we’ll pay the price for that.

“We’re disappointed, but in the main, Byrney has come in and provided us with what I knew he would provide and hopefully that will be the case between now and the end of the season.”

Elsewhere Challinor insisted the club will remain cautious over goalkeeper Ben Killip’s return after the 25-year-old sat out the win over Harrogate with a quad-muscle injury.

Killip was named on the bench as Jonathan Mitchell was handed the gloves following Challinor’s failed attempts to register youngster Patrick Boyes in time.

“He’s ok. We’re not going to risk anything,” admitted Challinor.

“He’s training but we have to rule out any sort of kicking that might be an aggravating factor.

“Hopefully a bit of time without doing things will settle it down and allow us to pick whoever we want to go with, but if not we’ll go into Saturday safe in the knowledge we’ve got two really strong goalkeepers and now we’ve got Patrick in as a young one when we need him.”

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