The Clarets take a break from the Championship to start their Carling Cup campaign on Tuesday night (24th August @7:45pm Kick-Off). Given a bye in the first round they now travel to the seaside to play League Two Morecambe at their new Globe Arena ground
The Preamble
Morecambe will be relishing this clash after knocking out Championship club, Coventry City in the first round of the Carling Cup. They won 2-0 christening their move to the new ground in the best possible way! Sammy McIlroy`s men will certainly be up for this one and the Clarets will need to be on their guard to prevent another upset. It will be interesting to see what side Brian Laws puts out against the Shrimpers and he could be tempted to give his fringe players a run out.
Morecambe Team News:
Morecambe boss Sammy McIlroy has no new injury or suspension worries for this game.
Defender Will Haining should be available again. He missed Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Burton for personal reasons. He was with his wife after she gave birth in midweek.
Player to watch: Andrew Fleming
22 year old midfielder, Andrew Fleming seems to have found his goal-scoring boots since signing from Wrexham in the summer. He scored a brace of goals in his debut for Morecambe against Coventry in the first round of the Carling Cup. After a 0-0 draw at home to Rotherham in the next game, he followed that up with another brace in the 3-2 defeat away to Burton Albion.
Out of contract at Wrexham, his first professional club who he joined in 2007, he signed for Morecambe in July 2010
Burnley Team News:
Chris McCann following knee surgery to fix his cruciate ligament will be sidelined for the next six months. Michael Duff is also unlikely to be risked following his calf strain injury picked up in first game of the season at home to Forest.
David Edgar could return following his automatic one-match suspension. He sat out our last match at home to Leicester on Saturday following his red-card for two bookable offences in the previous match at Ipswich.
There is no news yet of any further injury concerns for the Clarets but we can probably expect that some of the fringe players will be given their opportunity on Tuesday night.
Player to watch: Lee Grant
I have this hunch that Brian Laws could rest Jensen tonight and give Lee Grant a chance to make his first team competitive debut. If he does play all eyes will be on Grant to gauge what his chances might be of becoming our regular Number One keeper.
Team & Tactics
It is very difficult to predict our starting eleven and bench for this game without fully knowing Brian Laws` intentions. I am sure he will be tempted to give some of his fringe players the chance to shine but to what degree is anybody`s guess at this stage. We could see some widespread changes to the squad that has featured so far in our successful start to the Championship league campaign and I would suggest that the trick might be to have a very strong bench of established first team players available should things start to go tits-up with a less experienced starting eleven.
I have opted for the maximum of changes in my team prediction but I have to say it is not done with much confidence.
How does this grab you bearing in mind the opposition?
Grant, Eckersley, Carlisle (Captain), Cort, Easton, Edgar, Elliott, Cork, Eagles, Paterson, Thompson
Subs: Select from Jensen, Mears, Fox, Bikey, Alexander, McDonald, Rodriguez, Wallace and Iwelumo
Last Time We Met
In terms of the first-team we are actually playing Morecambe for the first time in our history.
Morecambe FC were formed in 1920 and played all their home games from 1921-2010 at Christie Park before moving to their new Globe Arena stadium for the start of the 2010-11 season. The new stadium holds 6476 fans (2247 of them seated)
Morecambe were promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history after winning the Conference National Playoff Final in 2007. They beat Exeter City 2-1 at Wembley Stadium on 20 May 2007 following their semi-final victory over York City.
Ref Watch:
44 year old Lancashire referee, Graham Salisbury takes charge of this one. He started refereeing in 1985, and progressed through the West Lancashire and Northern Premier Leagues to reach National List status in 1998.
Born in Lancashire, Salisbury was promoted to the referees` list in 2001. He also Officiated in the FA Vase Final of 2001.
Match Prediction:
We have to avoid a banana skin here at all costs and the chances of that happening will be dependent on the team that Brian Laws selects. A number of the fringe players are widely expected to play but we should still be too strong for the League Two outfit despite their recent reputation for giant-killing. I will go for a 3-1 Clarets victory.
Next Match
We return to League action on Saturday 28th August with a tricky away game against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium (Kick-Off 3pm)
