Carlisle United may be rushed into transfer decision ahead of Barrow match: View | OneFootball

Paul Simpson is in need of more options ahead of the derby.

Carlisle United fans returned to Brunton Park for their first competitive fixture since its makeover, and the next time they're there is an even bigger occasion.

In the Blues' first home league match of the new campaign, they will take on their rivals: Barrow AFC.

It should be a packed house for the game, unlike their meeting with Stoke City on Tuesday night where the Andrew Jenkins Stand and the Warwick Road End were closed due to ongoing work on those areas of the stadium.

The hope is that there might be a five-figure attendance for the fixture, but there will be those that are feeling quite hesitant about the tie.

Derbies always produce nerves, but United's double-loss start to the season, compared to their opponents who've won twice in a few days, has some supporters feeling less confident.

One area that has been noted by all who have watched Carlisle in their opening games as needing to be addressed is the midfield. Injuries to Callum Guy, Ethan Robson, Dylan McGeouch and Taylor Charters have left Paul Simpson eerily short of options in the middle of the park.

Ben Barclay has filled the gap for now, but he isn't a permanent fix to their problems.

Ahead of a match that has more weight attached to it than usual, United may be forced into making a quick transfer decision to try and give themselves a bit of cover in midfield.

Carlisle may be forced into snap midfield transfer decision

Ever since Robson went down with his hamstring problem, Simpson has said that they have been targeting more options in his area of the pitch. That necessity for sixes, eights or tens has been magnified by the injuries that have come after the former MK Dons man went down.

Even though it's a desperate need, Carlisle won't rush into any deals for the sake of getting someone in, according to the manager. "It's whatever feels right," said Simpson to the News & Star, when talking about the free agent market. "We've got to try and get the right people into the club."

That patience may be tested as we get closer and closer to Saturday. He won't want to leave himself short, and he has admitted multiple times that the finances are there to go and get more deals done.

United have already displayed how effective they can be in the free agent market with the swift addition of Ben Williams after Cameron Harper picked up a knock that will keep him out for four weeks.

Williams has impressed since joining, and has shown that the Blues are capable of being efficient in their dealings when they need to be. Supporters will hope that they can be similarly quick with getting a midfielder through the door before they take on the Bluebirds.

The type of midfielder Carlisle should target

Because of the position that Barclay is occupying, it would be easy to suggest that they need to look for a holding midfielder to take the defender's spot.

However, the question would then be what happens with them when Guy and McGeouch return to full fitness? Carlisle would then have potentially four options in this position, if you include Harrison Neal, who can play that role.

He and Josh Vela are being pushed higher up the pitch to accommodate Barclay, but they aren't as naturally adept at playing these more advanced positions as you'd necessarily like.

Someone who can operate closer to the two forwards and link play with them more effectively is the type of player that the Blues should try and go for. They've got themselves into plenty of good positions in their first two matches, but have sometimes lacked that killer pass or shot.

That said, it's all well and good identifying what they need, it's whether they can actually go and get a player of that ilk, and can they get them before they meet Barrow on Saturday?