Barrow AFC's recent two-week gap between fixtures allowed their injury crisis to ease somewhat and manager Ian Evatt is expecting to have more of his key performers back before long.

That is with the exception of Josh Granite, who is likely to be unavailable until January due to the broken collarbone he suffered against Sutton United at the start of the month.

However, defender Sam Hird is close to coming back from the thigh strain that has kept him out for the last three weeks, while midfielder Jason Taylor is waiting for the green light to play on with the fractures to his cheekbone and eye socket, which were also sustained in the win against Sutton.

Evatt said: "Sam's not too far away - he's probably about 90 per cent right at the moment, so hopefully in another week or so we can get him back.

"Jason had a mask fitted last Thursday and we have to wait ten days for that mask to be ready and then he has to be re-x-rayed and rescanned to see if the bone is starting to formulate again before he gets the all-clear to play.

"Hopefully it will only be only another couple of weeks with him, but Josh is going to going to be a bit longer - he's looking at another six to eight weeks, but we've got some strength in depth now, which is great. There are a lot of players there who all have great qualities - different qualities - but first and foremost they work their socks off."