United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips shortly before Carlisle's League One match at home to MK Dons, Hall first talking about the absence of regular left-back Evan Horwood with a bruised foot :
" MK Dons arrived at a minute to two, which is quite surprising because you have got to have that teamsheet in at two o'clock. But for Carlisle United Evan Horwood has got a bruised foot which he picked up, you might have seen it in the Leeds United game on Tuesday night.
" He had a little bit of a clash and it hasn't gone away for him unfortunately. We hoped that he might come in this morning having trained yesterday a little bit and be feeling a bit better, but he isn't so we have lost him. Graham Kavanagh is being rested so you have got Darryl Duffy who is coming in and Peter Murphy also coming in.
" Peter Murphy at left-back or centre-half is the option, that is going to be an interesting one. Because we believe that Murph will come in as a straight left-back but you have got Ian Harte who can do it as well.
" The manager (Greg Abbott) obviously having spoken to Evan at about 11.30am, and they have both decided it is not worth the risk, we would rather have Evan get himself fit and ready for Tuesday night as well. We are going to have to wait and see for definite how they have decided to do that as a management team.
" Same drill today as it was for Everton I think, Everton was a massive game for the club. It was wonderful for the fans, loads of excitement, Greg, Dennis (Booth), Kav (Graham Kavanagh) didn't let that seep in anywhere. The same message is going across, we are going to Wembley, it is a wonderful thing, but in the meantime there are nine massive games and 27 points and they are 27 points that can define a season.
" MK Dons have got a good team, they are not up there in amongst the play-off places at the moment by accident. They will want to stay there, Paul Ince is a manager who likes to play football. Greg Abbott, you have seen when a team plays football against us he gets his lads doing the same. That is why it was 4-3 down at their place, that is why it was a ding-dong battle and we think we have got another one coming up today.
" It is a difficult time financially around the county, around the country as well. We can only hope the fans will have a look at what Carlisle United are trying to do and they will set aside some of their time to come along and support it. If they don't then we fully understand it, we have just got to keep battling away hoping that the things that we do on and off the pitch will entice them back at some point in the future. "