The Football Conference have moved to clarify their position on the player registration embargo that has prevented Darlington strengthening their squad.

Manager Craig Liddle was hoping to bring in four players on loan from Newcastle and Middlesbrough.

He was, however, only able to bring in goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on loan from Sunderland. The Conference say that they have made an exception as goalkeeper is a specialist position.

But Quakers are still light on bodies, despite Aaron Brown's shock U-turn, ahead of today's game with Fleetwood Town.

The recent exits of Sam Russell, Jamie Chandler and Liam Hatch means that they will use a number of youth team players to fill the match day 16 with Jamie Barton expected to feature while Liddle is considering a comeback at the age of 40.

Colin Peake, spokesman for the Conference, said: "Darlington have sufficient players to play the game.

"They may only have nine senior players, but they have enough registered players to fulfill the fixture.

"The Conference have allowed Darlington to bring a goalkeeper in as it is a specialist position.

"Although Darlington have a registered goalkeeper we recognise that most clubs operate with two goalkeepers in their squad so they have been permitted to sign another player."

Like Quakers, Kettering have also struggled to field a team recently, but last week were permitted to bring in two players outfield players, both on loan from Peterborough United.

However, Peake pointed out that Kettering had less than 11 players whereas Darlington have close to 20 youth team players available.

Peake explained: "The rules and regulations surrounding players registrations in the Premier League, Football League and Conference are set in stone.

"Kettering Town have suffered from this recently too and last week the number of players they have registered to play dropped below 11 so they were given permission to sign two players. As it turned out their game was postponed.

"Darlington are not being treated any differently to any other club in the competition and the strict regulations governing the status and registration of players in compliance with Rule 6, will be adhered to, so protecting the integrity of the competition and ensuring unequivocal fairness to all member clubs."

Peake also denied that Fleetwood have contacted the Conference regarding Darlington's attempts to bolster their squad.

Liddle said in yesterday's The Northern Echo: "Fleetwood have been on to the Conference, I don't think they're happy that we were allowed to bring loan players in when we've got an embargo."

But Peake responded yesterday afternoon, saying: "Fleetwood Town have not made any objection to any clubs signing players.

"They have not contacted the Conference regarding another club signing players and they would not have been allowed to do so. The rules are very precise in relation to clubs making signing when under an embargo.

"We would hate to see any animosity or innuendo surrounding the game tomorrow when all the focus should be on the match after what has been a very difficult week for the club.

"It's a traumatic time for the club and we would hate for there to be any bad feeling toward Fleetwood or sniping."

Fleetwood's communications manager Derick Thomas said: "The only inquiry made by Fleetwood Town in terms of Saturday's game at Darlington related to whether the game itself would be taking place."

However, speaking yesterday morning at Darlington's training ground, Liddle said: "We haven't been helped, the Conference initially allowed us to bring players in on loan, then they restricted us to under-19s only.

"I was working tirelessly to bring people in, then on Thursday night they told me I wasn't allowed to bring anybody in, bar an under-19 goalkeeper.

"They've obviously had complaints from some other Conference sides, so people aren't making it easy for us."