Carlisle are hoping for some long-awaited good news on the injury front, with Morgan Feeney and Omari Patrick hopeful of returning to face Crewe.
Feeney has missed the last two games with a hamstring complaint but could return at centre-half, while Patrick is also pushing for a place in attack.
Fulham loanee Sonny Hilton is the latest absentee and faces two months out after damaging ankle ligaments in training.
Striker Ryan Edmondson is also making progress with his own ankle problem, but the likes of Tobi Sho-Silva, Ben Barclay, Josh Dixon, Brennan Dickenson and Joel Senior are all out.
Crewe have also had a fitness setback, with key midfielder Callum Ainley sustaining a shoulder injury that requires surgery.
He could be unavailable for three months, leaving a gap for an attacking midfielder.
Oli Finney will not be the man to fill it, though, as he could be missing for a month after injuring his foot in an under-23s match.
Eli King and Zac Williams are back from the Wales age-group system but Chris Long remains a long-term injury.
