WHILE anticipation builds ahead of Wednesday’s sold out FA Cup replay, Darlington manager Alun Armstrong is focused on Saturday's league game and trying to cobble a side together.

A combination of factors has left him without seven players for the match at Brackley, and on the bench could be only two substitutes – goalkeeper Chris Elliott and Armstrong’s 16-year-old son Rhys.

As a consequence he is hoping to make a couple of loan signings, one of which is former Middlesbrough youth team player Jack Lambert.

The 20-year-old is due to sign on loan from Scunthorpe United, though Armstrong is aware that any player who signs now will not eligible on Wednesday.

Only those who were available for the first tie last Saturday can play in the replay at Blackwell Meadows, but first and foremost is a league fixture against a Brackley team who are ninth in the table.

Armstrong will be without the suspended Ben Hedley, Michael Liddle remains injured, Osagi Bascome and Justin Donawa are on international duty with Bermuda, plus the three long-term injured: Luke Trotman, David Atkinson and Jamie Holmes.

“Ben’s banned so we’re massively short,” said Armstrong. “I’m working on bringing a couple in if I can and I’m trying everything.

“You try the local clubs, but there’s nothing out there or they want that little bit too much money because they’ve seen Darlington have brought in a little bit of money in the cup.

“It is annoying and I am a little bit disappointed. I’ve got seven missing for Saturday and it’s absolutely mad.

“I’ve been on to Middlesbrough to try and get Tyrone O’Neill back, but that’s not happening, Sunderland haven’t got anything for us.”

Liddle suffered with a groin problem in training last week, ruling him out of the match at Walsall after a fitness test on the pitch at the Banks’s Stadium.

Armstrong explained: “He’d been practising free-kicks and corners after training and he felt a tweak in his groin. He was hoping it would disappear, but it hasn’t healed in time.”

With Hedley absent Liddle would ordinarily move to right-back, but without the pair of them and youngster Cameron Holliday out on loan Armstrong has a problem on that side of the defence.

Holliday and Lucas Bell are currently with Northallerton Town, both of them named as substitutes for their match last Saturday, and cannot be recalled within the first 28 days.

Meanwhile, Darlington’s FA Cup replay with Walsall sold out yesterday – six days before the game.

Though the match was not classed as all-ticket, they were available in advance and went on sale to season ticket holders on Tuesday and then general sale this morning.

Demand has clearly outstripped supply, and the club released a statement, saying: “It has come to the notice of the football club that a number of tickets have been allegedly sold on by certain individuals to fellow fans at more than face value. The football club deplores this exploitation.

“Tickets are not transferable and may not be offered for sale without the prior written permission of the club or otherwise as set out in the express terms and conditions of such tickets.

“Any tickets offered for sale in breach of the terms and conditions thereof may be confiscated by any steward or officer of the Club or any police officer.

“The club reserves the right to refuse admission to or eject from the ground, any person who has transferred his/her ticket in contravention of the relevant ticket terms and conditions (and/or the holder of any ticket that has been transferred in contravention of the relevant ticket terms and conditions).

“In the event of any refusal of admission or ejection from the Ground no refund shall be payable. Tickets remain the property of the Club at all times.”

If Walsall are unable to sell any of their allocation then Quakers will sell them on Wednesday.

The teams drew 2-2 last Saturday, Darlington backed by well over 1,000 fans and they saw Joe Wheatley earn a replay with an equaliser seven minutes into added time.