Luke Garbutt makes his first appearance for the Blues in this evening’s friendly at Colchester United (KO 7.30pm).
The Everton loanee, who had a spell on loan with the U’s earlier in his career, looks set to start in a more advanced left-sided midfield role in a system with James Norwood as the lone striker.
"Danny Rowe is wide on the right with Flynn Downes, Andre Dozzell and Idris El Mizouni the central midfielders.
At the back, either Janoi Donacien or Myles Kenlock look set to partner skipper Luke Chambers at centre-half rather than their usual right-back or left-back roles with Tristan Nydam the other full-back. Tomas Holy is in goal.
Trialist James Wilson is among those on the bench, but Cole Skuse is missing from the squad, presumably as the vice-captain has picked up a minor niggle.
For Colchester, ex-Blues Dean Gerken, Tom Eastman and Frank Nouble all start, as do one-time trialist Kane Vincent-Young and former Town academy defender Omar Sowunmi.
Colchester United: Gerken, Vincent-Young, Eastman, Sowunmi, James, Lapslie, Stevenson, Senior, Gambin, Brown, Nouble. Subs: Ross, Fernandes, Collinge, Prosser, Kensdale, Chilvers, Comley, Pell, Cowan-Hall, Ager, Norris, Hasanally.
Town: Holy, Donacien, Kenlock, Chambers, Nydam, Downes, Rowe, Dozzell, El Mizouni, Norwood, Garbutt. Subs: Bialkowski, Wilson, Ndaba, Jackson, Dobra, Woolfenden, Emmanuel, Roberts, Clements, Huws.