Crusaders manager Declan Caddell insists he won’t be rushing his senior stars back as the North Belfast outfit continue to feel the pain of their current injury crisis ahead of Tuesday’s BetMcLean Cup semi-final showdown with Glentoran.

The Crues are coming off a 5-1 weekend Premiership defeat where key players such as Kieran Offord, Ross Clarke, Robbie Weir, Adam Lecky, Billy Joe Burns, Harry Franklin and Harry Jewitt-White were all absent.

Caddell’s men are now preparing for their third game in the span of a week after consecutive league losses to defending champions Larne and Dungannon is followed up by their biggest fixture of the season to date with a spot in the BetMcLean Cup showpiece decider – one of the standout days in the Irish League calendar – up for grabs at The Oval.

The former midfield maestro knows all about the impact which injuries can have after Stephen Baxter drafted Caddell out of retirement during the 2022/23 season as emergency cover – he ultimately scored the winner in their Irish Cup semi-final win over Dungannon at Mourneview Park before collecting a fourth competition crown.

placeholder image — Crusaders manager Declan Caddell. (Photo by Andrew McCarroll/Pacemaker Press)

He’s now chasing his first silverware success since succeeding Baxter during the summer and admits it’s on him to find solutions as Crusaders look to navigate a tricky period.

"We should have a few back soon,” he said. “We have 10 out at the minute and the last thing I'm going to do is rush them back and risk further delay.

"It's about plugging holes at the minute and allowing them ample time to get fit and make sure they are ready moving forward.

“There's no point feeling sorry for ourselves. We've been there before - I was brought out of retirement two years ago for the same reason when we'd 10 or 11 players out.

"There's no point in feeling sorry for ourselves, it's up to me to find solutions and the players to get over the line.

"We come up with game plans and let them recover as much as we can and send them out to deliver a performance. We'll use Monday night wisely to get them ready for Tuesday and another huge game."

While Crusaders have struggled for consistency, Glentoran are riding the crest of a wave after putting together a nine-game unbeaten streak across competitions and enjoyed extra preparation time for Tuesday’s fixture following the postponement of a weekend trip to Ballymena United.

"Glentoran will be happy their game was called off to recover and get bodies back, but I think they've a clean bill of health anyway in their squad,” added Caddell. “It is what it is - these are the cards we've been dealt and we have to come up with the solution and find a way to go to The Oval and get a result.

"They are a team in form and full of confidence...they've a knack of winning games, some games they are outstanding and others they maybe huff and puff but they are still winning and that shows a desire. We're under no illusions it's going to be a tough game."