It's been an 'okay' start for a team with huge potential says Peterborough United boss and Malik Mothersille debut has been pencilled in

But he claims the potential in his young squad is ‘huge.’

Posh are fifth in the table with 17 points from 10 games, just five points off top spot, ahead of a Tuesday trip to struggling Carlisle United.

Posh are protecting an unbeaten run of six games in all competitions and have forwards Kwame Poku and David Ajiboye back in the squad for the game at Brunton Park against the team that won the League Two play-offs last season, but who have won just one of their first 10 League One matches.

First-choice goalkeeper Jokull Andersson was sent off in a 2-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday so is suspended from tomorrow’s match. Key Posh midfielder Hector Kyprianou is also suspended.

Former Ipswich goalkeeper Tomas Holy will replace Andersson with Ryan De Havilland expected to step up in place of Kyprianou.

"Seventeen points from 10 games is an okay start,” Ferguson stated. “I’d have liked more points and losing at Northampton and not beating Orient were disappointments, but we’ve done okay generally.

"I don’t really take any notice of the league table at this point. After 15 games it will have taken shape more seriously and it will be easier to work out who might have a good season.

"But we’re on a nice little run and I saw a determination to win a game a football that pleased me at the weekend. It wasn’t the most exciting of performances, but we managed the game well apart from a 15-minute spell after we went 2-0 up.

"It’s been strange to see us lose the lead so often this season as scoring first should suit us with all the pace we have in the side.

"The potential of the players is huge. The aim for now is just to keep improving them and see where it takes us.

"The players who came in on Saturday did really well, David Ajiboye and Jadel Katongo, which was encouraging and the substitutes we sent on had a real impact on the game. They changed the entire dynamic.

"Ryan De Havilland is definitely ready to play. He was really unlucky to be taken off at half time the last time he started, but I changed shape to one I felt would suit him that day and it didn’t.

"But he trained really well last Thursday and he took that into Saturday’s game. He looked energised and confident.

"It’s a tough game at Carlisle. Their crowd can make it tough if they get up so we have to manage that side of things by starting the game well.

"Paul Simpson has done a great job up there. It was a fantastic promotion they enjoyed last season. They’d probably have hoped for more points at this stage, but they are a threat, especially from set-pieces.”

Posh were due to travel to Cumbria on Monday afternoon with a light training session on grass planned for Tuesday morning.

**Posh have targeted the EFL Trophy tie with Spurs Under 21s at the Weston Homes Stadium for Malik Mothersille's Posh debut.

The former Chelsea striker is busy getting up to match fitness after missing out on pre-season training in the summer.