Coach Matt Calland has named both players in his initial selection for the second versus third showdown with John Dixon's Australian-dominated line up.

Penkywicz has been dogged by injury for most of the National League One season after breaking his scaphoid at Dewsbury on Easter Monday.

The 24 year old played on for several months, but finally succumbed to the surgeon's knife after scoring the winner in the televised win over his hometown club, Leigh, at the Shay in early July.

Royston, who has switched from full back to loose forward this season, has missed the last two matches after fracturing his cheekbone in the defeat at Whitehaven three weeks ago.

"They're both in the squad and they're both in contention to play," said Calland, who could also have on loan Wigan back rower Mark Flanagan back after illness.

"They'll train tonight and we'll take it from there, but it would be great to have them out there in what is a massive game for both sides.
"It's probably a 50/50 call with both of them at the moment but if they're not ready we won't be risking them."

The uncertainty over Penkywicz and Royston is reflected elsewhere in the side, with a clutch of players nursing bumps and bruises of varying severity after last weekend's nerve-jangling 34-32 success at Batley.

"Paul Southern, David Wrench, James Haley, Frank Watene and Paul Smith are all struggling," said Calland, who bumped the usual Thursday night training back to tonight in an attempt to get around the disruption.
"We didn't have enough players to do a full session on Tuesday night, we had so many in the treatment room.

"We ended up just having a swimming session to try and help with the recovery.

"It's not ideal, but it's been a long season and I'd imagine a lot of clubs are in the same position at the moment.

"Some of them will probably pull through in time, some of them might not, but whatever happens we won't be putting any injured players out there.

"We cannot afford any passengers against Celtic because they will exploit them."

While Fax could have their big guns back, Calland expects Celtic to have an ace up their sleeves in the shape of classy half back Jace Van Dyke.

The Australian has been a long-term absentee after breaking his jaw and was not scheduled to return for another week.
"We've heard he's going to play and we've prepared as if he's going to play," said Calland.

Halifax (from): M. Greenwood, L. Greenwood, Gibson, Patterson, Goddard, Ratu, Haley, Holroyd, Coyle, Black, Penkywicz, Gleeson, Southern, Watene, Heaton, Wrench, Smith, Bowman, Varkulis, Walsh, Flanagan.

HALIFAX'S reserves host Barrow in a curtain to Sunday's National League game.
A win could send Karl Fairbank's young side, who have won the First Division Grand Final for the last two years, as high as second in the league ladder.