Town make six changes for this afternoon’s game against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium with skipper Sam Morsy and Jack Taylor, who have knocks, and Omari Hutchinson, who is ill, new absentees from the 20-man squad.
We understand Morsy has a hamstring issue which isn't expected to keep him out beyond today.
Harry Clarke comes in at right-back for his full Premier League debut with Dara O’Shea moving into the centre alongside Cameron Burgess with Luke Woolfenden on the bench.
In midfield, Jens Cajuste, who nearly joined Brentford in the summer prior to his loan move to the Blues from Napoli, and Kalvin Phillips start with Conor Chaplin skippering as the number 10, while ex-Bee Chiedozie Ogbene is on the right and Sammie Szmodics on the left and Wes Burns and Jack Clarke on the bench.
George Hirst makes his full Premier League debut as the central striker with Liam Delap among the subs along with Christian Walton and Cieran Slicker, Town naming two keepers illustrating the lack of fit outfield players. Striker Ali Al-Hamadi, who is continuing to have groin problems, is also on the bench.
Brentford make two changes from the team which lost 2-1 at Manchester United last week with Yoane Wissa returning to the XI following an ankle injury with Kevin Schade dropping to the bench, while Mads Roerslev comes in for Kristoffer Ajer, who is missing from the squad.
Brentford: Flekken, Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Van den Berg, Norgaard, Janelt, Damsgaard, Mbuemo, Wissa, Lewis-Potter. Subs: Valdimarsson, Meghoma, Mee, Konak, Trevitt, Yamoliuk, Jensen, Sscade, Carvalho.
Town: Muric, H Clarke, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis, Cajuste, Phillips, Ogbene, Chaplin (c), Szmodics, Hirst. Subs: Walton, Slicker, Woolfenden, Townsend, Burns, Broadhead, J Clarke, Al-Hamadi, Delap. Referee: Lewis Smith (Wigan). VAR official: Peter Bankes.