MATCHWATCH : Stevenage (h)

[paultheroyal]

Steve Evans reported as saying he’ll make some changes as well.

Really highlights how utterly redundant this competition is these days.

Agreed - only of interest if you are one of the lucky ones to reach the quarter finals and beyond.

[URZZZZ]

A side not far off the one below perhaps (maybe McIntyre and/or Holmes will have to play)? It’s a real struggle to find any experience at all defensively without naming the players who start the league games.

Bouzanis
Abrefa
Abbey (if recovered sufficiently)
Stickland
Obi-Wan
Loum
Holzman
Melvin-Lambert
Camara (presuming he is fit as was not involved Saturday)
Clarke, Jahmari (presuming he is fit as was not involved Saturday)
Ehibhatiomhan

Subs

Boycie
Osorio
Leavy
Clarke, John
Craig
Fornah
Someone-Else

Given John Clarke and Leavy seem to be above others in the pecking order, would be surprised to see them behind other youngsters

Think he’ll line up something like

Bouzanis

Holzman
Holmes
Clarke

Abrefa
Loum
Leavy
Guinness-Walker

Ince
Ehibhationham
Scott

Likes of Tuma and Jahmari Clarke on the bench

[Stranded]

Holmes and Hendrick have posted Game Day posts on Instagram, so imagine both will be involved tonight.

Could be a young starting line up with an experienced bench.

[Nameless]

Holmes and Hendrick have posted Game Day posts on Instagram, so imagine both will be involved tonight.

Could be a young starting line up with an experienced bench.

Plenty of our youngsters have a lot of experience of sitting on the bench.....

[Stranded]

Rawshawn Scott won't be involved tonight - he's in York with the u21 side.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Steve Evans reported as saying he’ll make some changes as well.

Really highlights how utterly redundant this competition is these days.

Agreed - only of interest if you are one of the lucky ones to reach the quarter finals and beyond.

it’s a sad indictment of modern day football…..different tournament (I know) but Man Us big oxf*rd off to the FA Cup some years back seemed to be the catalyst for many teams to be apathetic to cup games, at least until the trophy and kudos is in sight.

However, it’s far from redundant, it throws up one or two interesting local derbies (Mansfield v Derby?), also great opportunities for fringe players and new signings to ‘stake their claim’ at this very early stage of the season.

It is what it is, but if it were Reading v oxf*rd tonight, there would be a lot of interest.

[Mr Angry]

I appreciate that we are in the depths of (yet another) injury crisis, and also have limitations on who we can bring in etc etc, but I genuinely believe that, bar a few subs being added to the starting 11, we should play as reasonably strong a team as possible.

This is because I just don't believe a 90 minute run out in early August is going to negatively impact on player fitness at the end of the season (especially with the World Cup forced break towards the end of this Year), I also think that we need players getting used to other players in the system that the Manager has decided upon (best tried out in match conditions rather than at Hogwood) and lastly, winning begets winning - let's get a run of wins under our belt, especially at the Mad Stad.

Go for it I say.

[windermereROYAL]

Get ya fingers out lads, what`s the team news?

[Snowflake Royal]

Bouzanis
Holzman
Holmes
Clarke
Abrefa
NGW
Loum
Fornah
Leavy
Tamu
Ehib

Well the shape is pretty easy until you get past defence. Which of Loum, Fornah and Leavy playing wide forward?

[Hound]

Leavy a winger isn’t he?

Looking forward to seeing to seeing Tuma and Loum particularly

And Ehib up top

[Snowflake Royal]

Leavy a winger isn’t he?

Looking forward to seeing to seeing Tuma and Loum particularly

And Ehib up top

I thought so until he played DM in a friendly... West Ham I think.

[Royals and Racers]

Subs
Andresson
Craig
Yiadom
McIntyre
Hendrick
Camara
Ince
Jamari Clarke
Long

[NathStPaul]

Interested to see the young lads in action but would have liked to see a couple of experienced heads in there to help them along.

[windermereROYAL]

Some experience on the bench including Long who I feared had picked up an injury on Saturday.

[AthleticoSpizz]

The perfect (under the circumstances) line-up.
Some great insurance policies on the bench.

Is it 5 subs allowed?

[CountryRoyal]

Is this not on Royals TV?

[Hound]

Really like the look of Ehib so far

And Loum is a big lad.

[genome]

oh

[genome]

Is this not on Royals TV?

Fortunately not

[Pepe the Horseman]

Looked miles offside. Awful defending regardless.