Riley impressed alongside Steve Payne as the Shaymen kept a 17th clean sheet of the season in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Fylde.

And with skipper Crossley still sidelined by the back injury that kept him out of the side in midweek, he will get another opportunity in the Unibond One North clash on Merseyside.

"Ryan won't be fit for tomorrow," said Aspin. "He has been for a scan on his back and we get the results today.

"We are fortunate that we have cover in that area, players who can come in and do a good job.

"James Riley did well on Tuesday, he has the shirt and if he continues to play well he will keep it."

Skelmersdale are ahead of Town on goals scored, although they have played four games more.

And they will provide a stern test for Aspin's side as they look to build on Tuesday's impressive display.

"Skelmersdale are the form team in the division at the moment," he said.

"You get stages in a season when one team hits form and they seem to be firing on all cylinders.

"They got off to a bit of a slow start but in the last few weeks they have come into it.

"It would be nice if we could knock the wind out of their sails."

To do that they will almost certainly have to take a higher proportion of the scoring opportunities they create than they did in midweek.

"I wouldn't expect us to create as many chances tomorrow as we did against Fylde," he said. "We need all components of the team playing well.

"We will have to defend properly and be clinical in front of goal."

Aspin reported no fresh injury concerns so could name an unchanged side tomorrow.

And he is hoping that Danny Lowe, who has been sidelined since September, might be able to play in next Tuesday's President's Cup clash with Mossley at the Shay.

FC Halifax Town (from): Hedge, Hardy, Codman, Hotte, Riley, Payne, Phelan, Baker, Richardson, Peers, Gray, Marshall, Dean, Harrison, Sanasy, Senior.