Luke Armstrong is expected to return to Hartlepool United's starting line up this afternoon for their National League tie against Aldershot. 

Pools joint top scorer this season has been in training all week after recovering from a knock that kept him out of last weekend's 4-2 defeat to Maidenhead United. 

Armstrong has 12 goals to his name this season from 26 appearances but has struggled for form in front of goal scoring just once in his last six games. 

Dave Challinor says had last week's game been the final one of the season with a lot more riding on it, he may well of risked the 24-year-old. Instead the Pools boss has overseen his recovery as Pools aim for a top three finish in the National League. 

"In the circumstance we're in, especially after losing the Bromley game, that would've been a stupid risk for us because the reality is, us keeping him and Rhys Oates fit for these next five or six games are going to be pivotal to us being successful."

Fifteenth-placed Aldershot have little to play for between now and the end of the season but the Pools boss will still be wary of their threat when they head to the EBB Stadium with members of the Aldershot squad playing for their future. 

Challinor said: "The reality of their league position will say that there is not a lot to play for.

"From their perspective as players, the majority, if not all of them, will be out of contract and are looking to secure contracts for next year.

"For the ones who have got a contract for next year, maybe you would be saying you haven't got a great deal to be playing for but I certainly think there will be lot who are looking to try and get their futures secure in what could potentially be an uncertain market during the summer with lots of players out of contract.

"Potentially next year, wages and size of squads are being reduced because no one knows what the effects of the last 12 months are going to have on football clubs. 

"What they'll want to make sure from their perspective is that they're putting in a performance that earns them a contract, whether it will be there or whether it will be elsewhere. 

"You've seen that with the last few results, they've had a pick up in results and from a personal pride perspective, they'll want to finish as high up the table as they can. 

"So we know what we're going there to expect. From us, it's about doing what we do. It's the first opportunity to get the mistakes out the system that we made at the weekend."

With automatic promotion now seemingly out of sight for Pools, Challinor wants to make sure his side can secure a 2nd or 3rd spot in the National League table. Pools can also mathematically seal their place in the top seven by Saturday evening. 

After this weeknd's tie against Aldershot, Pools then face league leaders Sutton United before a home game against Weymouth on the final day of the season. 

"It's more of a mental test because you know the margin for error.

"We are now looking at season defining games so there's always going to be a little bit of pressure but you need to be able to play under pressure.

"I can gurantee it's a much better pressure than sitting at the bottom of the table knowing that you've got to win a game to try and stay in the league.

"The type of pressure that we've given ourselves is a great one and regardless of what happens, you're better from those experiences. 

"Defeat can hurt in such a way that it prepares you much better for the next time. 

"It's experiences that you wouldn't change and ones that have huge opportunities for someone to be a hero and for this group of players, the opportunity to take the football club back to where it's been previously and that's what we all want."