Defender Paul Weldon continues to make his return from a long-term injury and could be back at Darlington, admits manager Martin Gray.

Quakers are well stocked in the left-back department, with recent recruit Ian Watson preferred to Terry Galbraith, while Leon Scott has been known to fill in when required, but Weldon continues his rehab from a cruciate knee injury and may re-sign for the club.

Gray has left the door open for the former Middlesbrough trainee to rejoin having had a spell with the club last season, before suffering injury after joining Durham City.

“He’s still coming back from injury and he’s nowhere near playing yet,” said Gray. “He’s training with us, but nobody is allowed to make physical contact with him yet.

“He’s making a good recovery. He’s a smashing kid and I’ve got a lot of time for him. He’s never been miserable, he’s not getting paid a penny, he never misses a session, never misses a game, he just wants to be around the place and get fit again.

“We’re helping him with his rehab and we’ll see where it goes. He’s registered with us, so we’ll see what happens.”

To preserve players for next Wednesday’s game with Spennymoor Town at Heritage Park, he will make as many changes as his small squad allows when Darlington play at Scarborough Athletic tomorrow in the FA Trophy.

David Dowson and Liam Hatch are likely to be involved, while Galbraith is sure to start having been a substitute in three out of the last four games having previously been a fixture in Gray’s first-choice XI.

It’s a situation which the manager admits that the 24-year-old has not been happy about and Gray admitted: “He was very disappointed and rightly so because he’s been great for us. He’ll get his chance again.

“I understand his disappointment because he’s been a regular since he joined, but that’s why you want a strong squad, so that I can have good situations like this.”

* The Darlington FC Fundraising Group are selling tickets for An Evening With Bob Cass, a former national newspaper sports journalist from Darlington, who covered Quakers at the beginning of his career.

Taking place at Blackwell Meadows on Saturday, November 22, tickets are £20.

Tickets are available from the Quaker Retail at Blackwell Meadows, at Darlington games at Heritage Park, or from Rob Duncan on 07985 020 578.

All money raised goes towards the Back to Darlo fund.