The Blues are hopeful of naming trialist, Damien Mozika, in their squad after a series of impressive training sessions.

Mozika has been training with City after being released by French League side AS Nancy, and Chester have now received all the necessary paperwork in time for the player to face the Cumbrian club tonight (7.45pm kick-off).

Blues boss Simon Davies said: "All the paperwork from AS Nancy is complete, so Damien can play against Carlisle United tonight.

"It's probably worked out as we would have originally liked and hopefully he can benefit more from playing against clubs like Carlisle and Swansea, rather than Southport or Vauxhall.

"He can come in and hopefully he plays like he has been doing in training. He's been first class. I've seen it in my time that people who play very well in training don't always take it onto the pitch, so that's the only concern I've got really.

"He'll start in the next two games because we need to look at that.

With Trevor Benjamin and Damien, we'll be making sure they get a fair crack at trying to earn a contract."

Mozika, 21, who can play in either midfield or as a striker, spent last season on loan with French third division outfit CS Louhans-Cuiseaux.

Benjamin, who played nearly 90 minutes in last Saturday's 2-1 friendly win at Vauxhall Motors and has spent the last 10 days training at Chester, was released by Hereford United last season.

Forward Paul Taylor, signed on loan from Vauxhall earlier this summer, has recovered from a knee injury and may make an appearance from the bench tonight, but midfielder Jay Harris (hamstring) and defender James Vaughan (ankle) are likely to miss out.

Meanwhile, striker Chris Holroyd has rejected a move to League Two club AFC Bournemouth after failing to agree personal terms, but Paul Rutherford is currently on a one week trial at the South coast club.

And central midfielder Mark Hughes has returned to Chester after failing to agree personal terms at Barnet yesterday. The Blues had given Barnet boss, Paul Fairclough, permission to speak to the player.

Carlisle midfielder Chris Lumsdon is a major doubt ahead of tonight's match after struggling with painful back spasms.

Carlisle boss, John Ward said: "Chris was in pain on Saturday night and through Sunday, so we will have to wait and see if that settles down for him."

Carlisle travel to Chester for their third pre-season friendly of the summer having earned a 4-0 victory over Kendal and a 0-0 draw with Partick Thistle.

Ward said: "The Partick game was a good one for us, but the grass was slightly too long for us to really get our passing game going. It was a test for us though and that is exactly what we wanted when we went into it.

"Fitness wise we were able to get some of our players 60 minutes or more, in some cases, and I will want to do the same for tonight's game.

"It's all about match fitness at this stage, and we're working nicely towards that. The Chester game gives us another opportunity to concentrate on that, and to start to get some of the sharpness back in to the things that we want to do."

Meanwhile, Carlisle have admitted they would be powerless to stop star striker Joe Garner from leaving Brunton Park should the club receive a £1.14million bid.

Speculation in recent weeks has linked the 20-year-old, who signed a four-year deal with the Cumbrians after joining from Blackburn for £140,000 last summer, with a summer move to Championship new boys Nottingham Forest

But, after revealing details of a £1.14million release clause and a 50 per cent sell-on fee to the player's former club, a statement on the club's website announced the Blues would be set to make just £590,000 from a potential transfer.

"We have always wanted to keep Joe. He is extremely popular with our fans and everyone at the club and of course, he is also a great young player with tremendous potential," said chief executive Dave Allen.

Ask Davies

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