Daryl Murphy, last season's 27-goal Championship top scorer, makes his first start of pre-season as the Blues face Peterborough United at London Road (KO 3pm).
Jonny Parr is back at left-back after his minor thigh problem in a full-strength Town back four.
Aside from Giles Coke starting in Cole Skuse’s central midfield role, the team isn’t too far aware from what McCarthy might see as his first XI.
Strikers Freddie Sears and Brett Pitman are missing, the latter presumably due to the foot knock he suffered at Cambridge. Sears was spotted watching the U18s beat Leyton Orient 2-0 in a friendly at Playford Road this morning. Former Blues midfielder Jack Collison starts for Posh.
Peterborough: Alnwick, Smith, Ntlhe, Santos, Zakuani, Bostwick (c), Collison, Maddison, Taylor, Washington, Gormley. Subs: Henry, J Anderson, Brisley, H Anderson, Newell, Fox, Sadlier, Angol, Adebayo-Rowling, Coulibaly, Oztumer.
Town: Gerken, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Parr, Coke, Bishop, Maitland-Niles, Fraser, Murphy, McGoldrick. Subs: Bialkowski, Bru, Yowerth, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Ambrose, Skuse, Henshall, Stewart, Connolly, McDonnell, Benyu.