New goalkeeper Scott Loach will make his first appearance for Town since his days as an academy schoolboy when the Blues visit Braintree on Tuesday evening (KO 7.45pm). French pair Soualio Bakayoko, the left-back who was on trial during the Holland trip, and Cheick Kourouma, the free agent midfielder whose switch to Town has been delayed by red tape, are also in the squad.
Loach was training with the squad for the first time today and tweeted that it went well: "Great first session today. Great to be out there with my new team-mates. Let this be the start of a successful journey!"
Jimmy Bullard, Luke Hyam, Ronan Murray, Josh Carson, Jaime Peters and Nathan Ellington are also included in the 17-man travelling party making the trip to the Blue Square Bet Premier side’s Cressing Road ground.
Joining them are academy youngsters Gunnar Thorsteinsson, an Icelandic midfielder or defender, left-back David October, strikers Jack Marriott and Tom Winter, and Irish winger Mark Timlin.
Boss Paul Jewell said last week that he would split his senior players across the match at Braintree and Wednesday’s friendly at Cambridge United.
Town: Ainsley, Bakayoko, Bullard, Carson, Ellington, Hyam, Kourouma, Lee-Barrett, Loach, Marriott, Murray, October, Peters, Thorsteinsson, Timlin, Whight, Winter.
Photo: Action Images