HARTLEPOOL United should have a full strength side at their disposal this weekend apart from young forward Joe Grey. 

The 18-year-old missed last few months of Pools season last year because of a long-standing back problem. At the time of the injury, Grey had a MRI and CT scan to inspect the problem and the diagnosis confirmed that he wouldn't feature until this season. 

The youngster's short career has seen him make 13 league appearances scoring once, in Pools 2-1 loss to Eastleigh back in November. 

Grey has been in and around the squad during pre-season but Dave Challinor confirmed he won't be available for their season opening tie against Crawley on Saturday. 

“There’s only Joe Grey really. Obviously Joe has come back and we’re still being a little bit careful with him.

“He’s the only one that’s anything significant and you can say he’s definitely not going to be involved in the game.

“Apart from that, I think everyone will want to play. It’s a special day for the football club, especially for the supporters and a day that every single player would want to be walking out of that tunnel with a starting shirt on their backs in order to go and hopefully perform and make it a special day for us in terms of coming away with three points.”

New signing Mark Cullen has been managing a hamstring injury picked up in the pre-season friendly defeat to Spennymoor Town. 

The 29-year-old signed for the club after being released by Port Vale in the summer and the Pools admits he's fit enough to make his debut, if called upon. 

"He'd be ready to start games and would want to start games but me saying that is something, from my perspective, where I see him and knowing what I need from a centrral striker. Be that in a two or a three, however it might be. 

"The demands we have of the players at the top end of the pitch are, not excessive, but are maybe different to other clubs so for where I want him to be, I think he's that away. 

"He's undoubtedly ready to play, be that in a bit part or to start. Is he going to last 90 minutes at the same level? No but I can pretty much say that with most of the players regardless of whether they've played in the promotion final or not. 

"There will be undoubtedly cobwebs to blow off in a game that will be a different level to what they've played over the last four weeks."