DARLINGTON will be bolstered by the return of several first-team faces when they play their second pre-season friendly tomorrow evening at Harrogate RA.

Quakers won 3-1 at Buxton on Saturday without several of Martin Gray’s squad but were still able to name a strong starting XI.

Tom Portas, Terry Galbraith, Chris Hunter and Nathan Cartman all return and new signing Liam Marrs will also be involved, although there will be no Gary Brown after he sustained a facial injury at Buxton which required 15 stitches.

Stephen Thompson is unavailable and so too is Arran Wearmouth, but trialist Ryan Winder will feature against Railway.

The North Yorkshire club have been league opponents in each of Quakers’ last two campaigns, but while Darlington were promoted last season Railway finished in the relegation zone and will play in the Northern Counties East League.

Gray’s men do not have a fixture this weekend, next playing at Billingham Synthonia on Tuesday, July 12 before two games at The Northern Echo Arena: taking on a Newcastle United XI on the 16th and a Sunderland XI on the 19th.

Pre-season ends on Friday, July 22 with a trip to Gateshead, with the big kick-off being on August 6. The National League North fixtures are released on Wednesday.