Carlisle United limped back out of League One with a further glut of injuries for their last-day defeat at Derby County.

Club captain Paul Huntington was ruled out with a calf injury while a host of young players were also sidelined.

It left Paul Simpson to name just six substitutes for the 2-0 defeat that ended the Cumbrians’ failed third-tier campaign.

It saw injury problems dog United to the very end of their relegation season.

There is the prospect that experienced Cumbrian defender Huntington may have played his last game for Carlisle depending on Simpson’s decisions with Monday’s retained and released list.

“In training on Friday morning, just as we started some little games, Paul Huntington walked off with his calf, said it was too tight and sore to be involved,” said manager Simpson.

“He’d missed a few days earlier in the week, and he didn’t travel.”

Carlisle were also unable to involve three second-year youth players in the squad after all three picked up injuries in the build-up.

“Aran Fitzpatrick got whacked in training, rolled his ankle and had to be carried off the pitch,” said Simpson.

News and Star: Aran Fitzpatrick was one of several young players ruled out with injuryAran Fitzpatrick was one of several young players ruled out with injury (Image: Ben Holmes)

“Josh O’Brien had a whack on his knee and is going for a scan. Sam Hetherington wasn’t fit, he got a whack in the ribs.

“Then, if you take a first year youth team player who’s only 16 or 17, you’ve got child protection issues and lots of boxes to tick.

“We chose to go with 17. I don’t like doing it, I think it’s disrespectful to the academy, but that was the situation we were in.

“We were down to 17 and they came and had a go at it.”

Simpson said he was unsure of the extent of young defender O’Brien’s injury, while he does not expect Fitzpatrick’s ankle problem to be long-term, and expects the teenager to be fit for pre-season.

United’s boss, meanwhile, again said he could not give more details on Joshua Kayode’s absence.

“It’s nothing to do with either club [Carlisle or Kayode’s parent club Rotherham United – it’s to do with the player but that’s as far as I can go on it,” he added.