FA Trophy test is ideal return to action for AFC Fylde boss Adam Murray

Fylde have seen both the past week's National League North fixtures, against Kettering Town and Farsley Celtic, frozen off and they would have another game to rearrange if their third-round tie is not resolved tomorrow.

Murray told the Gazette: “We want tomorrow's game on because it could mess up the league programme otherwise.

“The way the FA works is that we have to play this game first, so if it isn't played on Saturday we'd have to try again on Tuesday (when Fylde are due to visit Curzon Ashton).”

The Coasters have already played five fewer league games than leaders Darlington, who are eight points better off, and don't want that backlog to grow further.

“Come January, we're already playing on three successive Tuesdays, so it's looking like a month of constant games,” added Murray.

“I think a cup game is a good one to come back to after a break, especially with all the games coming up.

“Hopefully it will be an opportunity to get minutes into some of the players who have not had as much game time because we will need every single player to perform and to be ready.”

The rise in temperatures forecast for today and tomorrow – and an overnight freeze is not anticipated – has lifted hopes of the match going ahead.

And Fylde's all-weather facility at Mill Farm has minimised disruption to their training schedule.

Murray said of prospects for the match: “We're banking on tomorrow and Saturday morning, and we have the heaters out.

“The time on the training ground has been been good and the work we've got into the guys will be priceless, but you don't want to get out of the rhythm of playing matches.

“We've had to train at different times this week. We've trained later to allow the 3G to be got ready but we've managed to train every day.

“It isn't ideal to train on 3G all the time, so you have to get the balance right for certain players but we got the work done that we needed to.”

This is rare instance of two clubs facing each other four times before the season is even halfway through.

Fylde and the Harriers were drawn together in the FA Cup's final qualifying round in October, when the Coasters prevailed after a replay, having played out a goalless league draw at Aggborough the previous month.

It means the teams need no introduction ands Murray said: “Those three games were before my time here but I know their manager (Russell Penn) and he has done a really good job.

"They will bring a strong team to our ground.

“It will be a different game to the other ones against them and they are a team who like to play, so it should be a good match.”

Fylde could welcome back Luke Charman after injury, though fellow frontman Danny Rowe has seen illness hamper his return to fitness this week.