Town boss Kieran McKenna has made three changes from his last Premier League team for this evening’s home game against Brighton & Hove Albion with Omari Hutchinson a surprise starter alongside Kalvin Phillips and Wes Burns with captain Sam Morsy on the bench.
Christian Walton continues in goal against his old club with Burns wide on the right and Leif Davis on the left with McKenna sticking with the back three of Dara O’Shea, who skippers, Luke Woolfenden and Jacob Greaves despite the signing of Ben Godfrey, who is among the subs.
Phillips, who is ineligible for Sunday’s game against his parent club Manchester City, partners Jens Cajuste in the double pivot with Hutchinson, who had been out with a groin problem and was expected to be a sub at best, and Nathan Broadhead behind number nine Liam Delap.
In addition to Morsy, on the bench in a league game for the Blues for only the second time, the first at Oxford in March 2022, and Godfrey, striker George Hirst is back on the bench in the league for the first time since November.
Brighton, who have former Town central defender Adam Webster captaining, make four changes from the team which won 4-0 in the FA Cup at Norwich at the weekend with Joao Pedro OK to start after an ankle injury, replacing Georginio Rutter, who is among the subs.
Bart Verbruggen returns in goal for Jason Steele, while Matt O'Riley and Simon Adingra replace Julio Enciso and Yankubah Minteh, with all three players dropping out on the bench, alongside club captain Lewis Dunk, ex-England international Danny Welbeck and Solly March.
Town: Walton, O’Shea (c), Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Phillips, Cajuste, Burns, Hutchinson, Broadhead, Delap. Subs: Muric, Johnson, Godfrey, Townsend, Morsy, Luongo, Taylor, J Clarke, Hirst.
Brighton: Verbruggen, Webster (c), Joao Pedro, Adingra, Baleba, Mitoma, Ayari, Van Hecke, Estupinan, O'Riley, Veltman. Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Dunk, March, Enciso, Georginio, Moder, Minteh, Welbeck. Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland). VAR: Michael Salisbury.