Dean Leacock will soon be ready to resume his career, Carlisle United boss Keith Curle insists.

The former Notts County and Derby defender is continuing to train with the Cumbrians.

Experienced Leacock, who played under Curle at Meadow Lane, is attempting to kickstart his career after a lay-off with a groin injury.

Curle plans to give the 31-year-old free agent an outing in a friendly game when he is approaching full fitness.

The United manager said: “Dean’s still in the process of getting himself fit.

“He’s had a nasty injury and was left to his own devices over the summer, had three or four months of being active, so basically he’s deconditioned.

“But he’s a good trainer and it won’t take him long to get up to speed.”

United, meanwhile, are waiting to learn the extent of David Atkinson’s lay-off.

Curle said the summer signing is being further assessed after it was confirmed he has suffered a hamstring tear.

“He has had it scanned, and we will let [the injury] settle down for two or three days, and we will then be able to tell you roughly how long it will be,” the United boss said.

Curle, meanwhile, has explained his reasons for making changes to his side for Tuesday’s 4-1 defeat at Plymouth, with Patrick Brough and Bastien Hery among those left on the bench.

The Carlisle manager said: “I thought Broughy needed a rest after the weekend, and the same with Bastien.

“If you look at Bastien, he hasn’t played 90 minutes, and he’s played three consecutively.

“It was also about how we wanted to play, with the two sitting midfield players to drag [Plymouth] out and cause them problems.

“For the first 35-40 minutes it did work a treat. We created opportunities to be 3-1 up at half-time. If Jabo [Ibehre]’s header goes in, it could be a completely different game.”