FOLLOWING two months out injured, Jake Cassidy has returned to the Hartlepool United side.

Craig Harrison’s summer signing played the end of August before his comeback last weekend. A foot injury kept him out and the striker made two starts in the last week as Pools lost to Aldershot and then thumped Halifax.

Cassidy appears to have spent plenty of time in the gym working on his upper body strength in the last two months.

He is set to start up front at Ebbsfleet tomorrow as Pools look to claw back the two-point gap between themselves and the play-off zone.

“Jake is back and fit,’’ said Harrison. “He’s a big, strong lad and had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the gym and now it’s about the cardio side of it. We got what 80 minutes or so out of him on Tuesday, which can only benefit him.

“No matter how much training you do, match minutes get you there. The staff have worked hard to get him back. Jake doesn’t need much bulking up, he’s a big lad anyway, but having him back up front gives us two ways of playing.

“It’s almost a thankless job up there and he’s disappointed not to score, but he gives us the platform for others to come into the game. The balance attacking-wise was good on Tuesday.’’

Harrison gave a late cameo to Tomi Adeyole on Tuesday and the attacker made a bright impression as Pools eased past Shaymen.

The 21-year-old has a short-term deal at Pools and Harrison has encouraged him to make the most of his chance, with Pools already his eighth club.

“Tomi came on and did well, he has done well in training and then had a knee injury,’’ said Harrison. “A couple of weeks full training and he’s involved and half an hour on Tuesday he affected the game and brought a spark when the game was in danger of petering out.

“He took his opportunity. Jack Munns did well too. I’m in a privileged position to bring players of that attacking quality off the bench.

“Tomi has put himself in a position to be judged in game time and now he needs to pick on and the challenge is to get in from the start.’’