Newport County travel to Wiltshire for their first Checkatrade Trophy group match against Swindon Town on Tuesday (September 11, 7.45pm).
Manager Michael Flynn is certain to make changes from County’s starting line-up in their 1-0 League Two win at Oldham with goalkeeper Nick Townsend, defenders Mark O’Brien and Cameron Pring, midfielders Charlie Cooper and Andrew Crofts and forward Keanu Marsh-Brown likely to be called up.
Strikers Jamille Matt and Padraig Amond both played at Oldham despite carrying minor injuries with Mark Harris and Antoine Semenyo were both ruled out.
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Harris has been on Wales under-21 duty and suffered a concussion during their 2-1 win against Liechtenstein, while Semenyo has recovered from his own concussion and is available at Swindon.
Semenyo will surely play alongside Keanu Marsh-Brown in attack.
“With the two centre-forwards (Amond and Matt) I had we didn’t know they were going to play until 12.45pm,” said Flynn.
“They had both been struggling all week. The other two strikers are out so we would have had literally no strikers. What I would have done then I don’t know.
“We had two players who shouldn’t have been out there ideally. If the other two were available I would have played them.
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“Padraig Amond put in the most unselfish performance I’ve seen from a striker in my career.
“Keanu hasn’t had game time. He needs minutes to get his confidence up and his fitness up.
“Antoine is back for Tuesday and Mark will be alright for Saturday so at least we’ve got two coming back.”
Flynn says half of his players are ‘dead on their feet’ after drawing level with leaders Lincoln City at the top of League Two thanks to their victory at Oldham.
Rules of the competition state that each team must include at least four outfield players who were in the starting XI in the previous match or will be in the following match.
“There are players who need games and players who are dead on their feet,” said Flynn.
“It would be suicide to play them and it wouldn’t be fair to them because there’s one or two of them who are close to having an injury.
“To play them at Swindon would be selfish and stupid of me, and I’m neither of those.”
“We have players in our squad that I need to get them up to speed, I need to get a bit of confidence into a few of them because when you’re doing well everybody wants to be a part of it,” said Flynn.
“We have a few players chomping at the bit and they should go in and make sure they do well to give me another problem for Saturday.”
Swindon will be without Lawrence Vigouroux after the goalkeeper was called up by Chile.
An earthquake led to Chile’s game against Japan in Sapporo on Friday being cancelled, but Vigouroux could still win his first cap on Tuesday against South Korea in Seoul.
Swindon have played one group game already and lost 4-0 at home against Chelsea’s under-21 team. Plymouth Argyle complete the group.
Newport County, possible: Newport County AFC (3-4-1-2): Townsend, Pring, Franks, Demetriou (capt), O’Brien, Butler, Crofts, Bakinson, Cooper, Marsh-Brown, Semenyo.