Barrow AFC manager Ian Evatt is pleased with how the players in his squad who had to wait on the sidelines during the team’s great run of results kept themselves sharp, with them now needed to help keep it going.

The Bluebirds are hoping the injury situation that suddenly arose before their two-week break from playing will ease by the time they face Notts County on Saturday, although it did lead to the cancellation of the Lancashire Senior Cup tie at Preston.

Muscle issues with Sam Hird (thigh) and Dior Angus (hamstring) will be assessed ahead of the trip to Meadow Lane, where AFC could be without two of their main leaders.

Confirmed out, for some time, is club captain Josh Granite with a broken collarbone, while midfielder Jason Taylor has been tested to see if the fractures to his cheekbone and eye socket are stable enough for him to wear a mask.

If Barrow are depleted this weekend, however, Evatt trusts the likes of Jack Hindle, Morgan Penfold and Oliver Greaves will be able to step up, if required.

He said: “I’m a young manager - I’ve only been a manager for 16 months - but I was a professional for 21 years, so I know what happens and I know football changes in an instant.

“I’ve said all along that any team is only as good, or as happy, as the ones out of the team and they’ve been driving the other lads on, while keeping themselves in good shape and ready to be called upon.

“Every single player in my squad I trust to be able to play and do a job in our system and it showed with Connor [Brown] coming back in and Josh Granite coming in.

“Morgan has been back in the fold, we’ve had Oli Greaves come back in and they’ve all done a job and they’ve all been able to do it to a good standard.

“They’ve shown that they’ve got to keep themselves spot on for when they get their opportunities because things in football can change very quickly.”

With the injuries that have swept through Barrow’s squad recently, the break from action arguably came at a good time, even if they did have to watch other non-League teams have their day in the sun in the FA Cup last weekend.

Evatt said: “Financially, it would have been big for the football club and also the fans want to see us have a good cup run and bring some big teams to Holker Street.

“But I think if you asked 100 fans in Barrow what they’d prefer - a Cup run to maybe the second or third round or a chance of being promoted to the Football League, I think 100 of them would pick the second option.”