LOUIS GRAY is made up to get the go-ahead to play in Sunday’s win-or-bust play-off eliminator - he just wishes the fans were there to join him at Altrincham.

“It’s great to be able to play again because you thought the play-offs wouldn’t happen,” said goalkeeper Gray, who was given permission by the National League to play despite being a free agent after his contract ended at Carlisle last month.

“I just wish the fans were there. It’s not the same - football matches without supporters - and this game would have been packed out.

“I’ll even miss the opposition fans trying to wind me up behind the goal. That kind of stuff doesn’t bother me. In fact it makes me concentrate harder.”

It’s more than four months since Wrexham-born shot-stopper turned out for the Blues in an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at rock bottom Bradford Park Avenue but he’s kept in trim in that period by taking up cyclist.

“My girlfriend’s dad is a keen road cyclist and said I should take it up. So I got on my bike and I’ve really enjoyed it and it’s been keeping me fit,” added Gray, who may may turn his temporary move to Chester into a permanent before the start of the new season.

And when that happens, Gray, hopes that the Blues will find themselves in the league above.

“Wouldn’t that be great to win the play-offs and then there’ll be a big derby to look forward to next season,” said Gray, who has a spell at Everton after starting off his career at home-town club Wrexham.

Gray, 24, is backing his new team-mates in the promotion push and added: “What they’ve done, playing for free, shows what great team spirit there is here.

“There are no big-time Charlies in the team and I’m more than happy I’ve made the move here.”

Jon Worsnop has also been given the all-clear to feature in the Blues’ play-off schedule.

The 27-year-old was brought in as goalkeeper coach and number two by joint-bosses Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley as the club prepared for the end of season lottery.

It looks like Gray will get the nod between the posts on Sunday, Johnson saying: “Louis was brought in to be the number one.

“But Jon has been unbelievable in training and he will push Louis on the training ground.

“Jon wants to play, that’s for sure and he will keep Louis on his toes and make sure that he has competition for the number one shirt.”

On bringing Worsnop back to the club, Johnson added: “Jon has a few successful businesses and at his age he could focus on those, but he loves football and he’s an infectious character to have at the football club.

“He will only help the young goalkeepers we’ve got at the club get better and it’s good to have him working with us.”

Johnson also confirmed that Gray and Worsnop were part of a 19-man squad for the play-offs.

Defender James Jones is unavailable after a loan spell from Salford, Johnson adding: “We’ve got 19 players. We were handicapped slightly by the number of people we could test and we wanted to make sure our first choice players were all available to us.”