Trying to predict the Huddersfield Town lineup up for a Bristol Street Motors game is a fool’s errand, as it’s likely that a good number of players will be rested for a competition that is broadly viewed as a waste of time until you get to the final stages. Having said that, I think Michael Duff may be a bit more conservative with his rotation for this game, after losing to Doncaster in this competition in early September and Tamworth in the FA Cup the other week I doubt he wants another cup defeat. So to save himself the risk of further cup embarrassment, we might see a relatively strong Town lineup tonight.
While few people particularly care about our prospects in this cup, for those that do, this game is also effectively a knockout game for Town as a defeat or draw will see them finish outside the top two places in the group and a victory will send them into the proper knockout stages. If Town make it through to the next stage they are then among 32 teams fighting it out for the trophy, or to put it another way, they are four wins away from a trip to Wembley. So while group games in this competition are only marginally more competitive than a friendly, there’s a prize worth winning at the end of it if you do well – I don’t mean the trophy, I mean a day out to Wembley!
So here’s my prediction for how we’ll lineup, but be warned this prediction is even less likely than usual to be accurate given how likely it is we’ll mix things up.
Goalkeeper: Chris Maxwell
With Lee Nicholls still out, most will have expected Maxwell to have been the one to step in and replace him but an unluckily timed heart issue opened the door for Jacob Chapman to take the gloves and since then Maxwell’s only been able to get minutes in the FA Cup. How did he do in the FA Cup? Oh, I can’t remember. Nope, I don’t think he was involved in any notable moments in his last time out. Well, actually, now I think about it, he did literally punch the ball into his own net. Replays showed that he did seem to get sucker punched by a sneaky Tamworth player as he went to field Tommy Tonks’ long throw but I think he still could have done better. Maxwell is at the back end of a respectable career as a keeper and will no doubt be desperate to shake off his last game and it seems to be the modern tradition to switch your goalkeepers for the cups, so I expect he’ll start.
Defence: Pearson, Lees, Lonwijk
I expect there are going to be changes in most other areas of the pitch but I can’t see where the alternative options are for the central defenders. Josh Ruffels and Loick Ayina both played for the B Team last night, so won’t be able to play another game 24 hours later (we lost 7-2 to Sheffield United’s B Team) and Helik is still coming back from injury and probably isn’t ready to start a game even if he is likely to get some minutes off the bench to aid his recovery. Having plenty of strength and experience at the back will be useful against the young pups from Manchester United’s academy. While they may be used to playing against technically gifted and athletic players, few of these kids will have been booted from behind by a player like Matty Pearson.
Midfield: Turton, Iorpenda, Kasumu, Kane, Headley
Turton is the only available option at right wingback unless someone is played out of position or we dip into the B Team players. Lasse Sorensen is still out injured and Brodie Spencer is away with the Northern Ireland squad. Not that there’s anything wrong with Turton, he’s just not quite the threat going forward that the other two rivals for this role can be.
Tom Iorpenda had a difficult night in his last start against Tamworth but playing Manchester United’s academy lads is more likely to suit him as the game will be less physical and more technical. Hogg may be involved but I think he has a niggling injury so I’d guess he’ll not be risked for a meaningless game when leaving him out means he’s got the best part of two weeks to focus on getting fit. Same with Antony Evans and his bruised toe, which sounds like a poor reason to miss games but I’d guess it’s worse than it sounds.
So if Hogg and Evans are not risked, that leaves Wiles, Kasumu and Kane as the remaining options to partner Iorpenda. I’d personally go with Kane and Kasumu as Wiles has played more minutes than any other player in the squad and if he’s rested it means Iorpenda can take his place as the number ten. I really like the look of Tom Iorpenda as he’s very classy on the ball but I think right now he’s best played in a position where he’s not trusted with too much defensive responsibility.
Headley had a stinker against Tamworth in his last time out but Mickel Miller has a tendency to get injured if he plays too many games close together, so I think we’ll see Headley again. If Miller starts then I’d guess that will mean Headley’s chances of getting into the first team will be very limited from now on. If he plays then he’ll need to show he has something to offer. We’ve seen it in flashes but lately his poor games have far outnumbered his good ones.
Forwards: Ladapo & Healey
Duff spoke again yesterday about how the striker positions are up for grabs, so I would expect him to rotate in this area to give others a chance. Danny Ward’s sick note may or may not have time left on it, but given there’s doubt about his availability I think Ladapo and Healey are the most interesting pairing. We’ve not seen a lot of Ladapo and he’s looked pretty rusty when we have but this sort of game could be the chance he needs to show he’s got something to offer. I like his physical size and strength which helps him hold the ball up well and bring others in. Sadly, his first touch and finishing haven’t been great in the times I’ve seen him play. Healey is a bit different as I think he’s got the quality to be a good striker for Town IF he can stay fit for long enough to make an impact.