Darlington are to elevate reserve keeper to first-choice status as Andy Oakes continues to struggle with an injury.

With David Stockdale having joined Fulham, 31-year-old Oakes was expected to reclaim the No. 1 spot but he has yet to recover from a shoulder problem that ended his campaign early last season.

That has handed an opportunity to young Polish keeper Przemyslaw Kazimierczak, who joined from Bolton Wanderers midway through last season.

He made his debut in May, keeping a clean sheet after replacing Stockdale at Peterborough United, and could start the Coca-Cola League Two opener against Exeter City in a fortnight.

At the beginning of last season suspension then injury kept Oakes out of the team and allowed the unproven Stockdale to become first-choice.

He went on to become the club's player of the year and manager Dave Penney is hoping Kazimierczak could enjoy a similar rise to prominence.

Talking to the Northern Echo Penney said: "Only time will tell whether Przemyslaw is good enough to play week in, week out. He might surprise us like Stocky did and if he does that would be great.

"Andy went to see the specialist in the middle of last week and was told he doesn't quite have the range of movement in his shoulder that he needs.

"So he's been working on that and he's a little bit sore.

So at this moment Przemyslaw is our keeper.

"We're not quite sure how he's going to develop or whether he's ready right now.

He will probably play all the pre-season games now and we'll have to see how he does and see how he handles himself.

"He did well against Peterborough.

We didn't plan for him to come on but he had a good hour and did very well."

Kazimierczak will be part of the Darlington team that plays at Billingham Town on Saturday. (3.00pm).