Mystery continues over striker's Carlisle United absence

Joshua Kayode is out of Carlisle United’s last game of the season – but manager Paul Simpson says he still can’t reveal why.

The loan striker remains with the squad but is “unavailable” for a second successive game.

Manager Simpson said a “confidentiality” issue around the Rotherham United man meant he could not divulge details of his situation.

It follows last weekend’s revelation by Simpson that he had received a call on the morning of the Wycombe Wanderers game saying the 23-year-old had made himself unavailable.

Asked for an update on the situation by the News & Star at his weekly press conference today ahead of the trip to Derby County, Simpson said: “All I can say again, and I can't say any more, is he's not available – I'm really sorry but I can't give any more information about it.

“He’s still in [the club] today. He’s not available.”

Further asked when he would be able to give more details on a situation that appears confusing, Simpson said: “I get it – and let me tell you it's not my decision to not give any information.

“There's a confidentiality issue and I've been told that that's all I can say.

“You know me – and I get criticised for speaking openly and speaking too openly – but in this situation I really do have to just leave it at that.”

Simpson admitted it was a frustrating position and added: “The whole season's been frustrating for JJ firstly, and us secondly, because I think we're all fully aware of what JJ could have brought to the group and we've not had him available…and we've virtually had nothing from him.”

The forward has made just four appearances in a campaign where he has been hit by shoulder and calf injuries.

Simpson, meanwhile, says Jack Ellis suffered a hamstring tear in Tuesday’s Fred Conway Cumberland Cup final defeat to Workington Reds.

Jack Ellis has suffered a five-week hamstring injury, Paul Simpson says (Image: Barbara Abbott)

It will be a five-week injury, the manager said, with the defender expected to be fit for the start of pre-season.

But United’s boss expressed concerns that it was one of a number of hamstring problems the young Cumbrian has faced in his career.

“We’re going to have to get medical advice on it to work out what we can do to help him,” said Simpson.

“We do work to try and make the different muscle groups resilient and robust enough to deal with the demands of football. But we’ve had that setback with Jack, which is really disappointing.

“They’re really hard to gauge because there was no sign of it over recent weeks and going into the game, because we’d have never taken the risks [had we known].

“We think it’s a five-week injury. It’s classed as a 2C strain but more likely the recovery is a 2B which is five weeks.

“He should be fit to start pre-season with us at the end of June, as should the other lads who are injured who will still be with us, except Callum Guy, while Jack Robinson is speaking to the specialist about his injury and we’re waiting for feedback about that.”

Simpson says midfielder Dylan McGeouch is available for the trip to Pride Park having trained fully this week after a calf injury.

Sam Lavelle is also available despite being one of a four players who missed the early part of the week’s training. The defender was substituted in the second half of the Wycombe defeat with an ankle knock, but Simpson said he was involved in today's session and was fit to play this weekend.

Sam Lavelle went off injured last weekend but is fit to face Derby, says Paul Simpson (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Lavelle and Jon Mellish will complete ever-present league seasons if they play against the Rams.

“It's incredible for Jon Mellish – I'm going to give him credit because he was very close to getting a suspension for five bookings, and then he got really close on the two-game suspension for the ten bookings, but he kept his discipline and didn't do that, so great credit to him for doing that,” said Simpson.

“It's not easy to go through a full season and be ever present so if they are both available and both selected then credit to them.

“But on a season like this it [the ever-present achievement] doesn't really count for anything in my mind.”