Paul Cook says we'll know a lot more by Christmas about who is destined for promotion from League Two.

He warmed up for the long haul to Carlisle by warning that the Blues' results needed to improve after recent struggles - at least struggles relative to the flying start to the season.

He told the club website: 'I believe that this run of matches up until Christmas will probably define the league. Plymouth are showing signs of breaking clear, Oxford are hanging on to their coat-tails and if that’s where we want to be then we have to make sure our results get us there.

'Our last away performance at Notts County was probably our best of the season and we got nothing. But in the game after that against Macclesfield in the FA Cup we won without playing particularly well.

'Carlisle are a strong, free-scoring side and have had some decent results this season, along with — like the rest of us — some they won’t be happy with. There is often a lot of goals in their matches, so we’ll go up there presuming it will be an entertaining contest.

'But we’re not going there simply to be involved in a good game of football — we want to collect all three points.'

Matt Tubbs and Gary Roberts are still out but Kyle Bennett is expected to come back into the starting line-up at Brunton Park.

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