All change for Alexander as he prepares for Trophy tie
SALFORD City will field a changed side for the visit of Morecambe in tonight’s EFL Trophy fixture as boss Graham Alexander admits his squad is too small to compete in all competitions this season.
The Ammies were without Tom Clarke, Darron Gibson, Richie Towell and Oscar Threlkeld for their 0-0 draw with Forest Green Rovers on Saturday due to illness, and the senior quartet are expected to be unavailable for this evening’s test also.
Alexander told M.E.N. Sport: “I say this with all due respect, but we haven’t got the squad to compete right until the end in these competitions.
“We can’t play all the senior players, we’ve got a limited amount, and we can’t expect them to play in all the league games as well.
“It would be difficult without additions to the squad, it would be too much of a workload, so it will be an opportunity for young players to come into the team.
“Unfortunately, because of the situation everybody is in, we can’t just go for it in every competition this season.”
Salford are in desperate need of a victory to keep their hopes of progressing out of the group stages alive after suffering a 6-0 defeat to Manchester United under-21s in their opening Group B game.
However, irrespective of their fate in this year’s competition, the Ammies are still yet to complete last season’s tournament having had their final versus Portsmouth postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Alexander is hopeful that their cup run will be concluded.
“I hope it is played, you don’t want to go through everything we did last season, the challenges and what the players put into it, to not play in the showpiece final. That would be extremely disappointing to say the least.”