Town boss Paul Lambert has made nine changes for this afternoon’s FA Cup first round tie against Portsmouth with centre-halves Toto Nsiala, who skippers, and Mark McGuinness the only players to survive from the team which lost 2-1 at Sunderland on Tuesday.

David Cornell is in goal with Janoi Donacien at right-back and Myles Kenlock on the left of the defence.

In midfield, Jon Nolan is back after his suspension and joins Emyr Huws and Brett McGavin, who will be in Andre Dozzell’s usual playmaking role.

Up front, Oli Hawkins, facing his old club, plays down the middle, with Freddie Sears on the left and Keanan Bennetts making his full senior debut on the right.

Striker James Norwood is back on what’s a very strong bench after his hamstring injury.

First-team coach Matt Gill is with the squad on the pitch for the warm-up having been away from the club for much of the last fortnight having tested positive for Covid-19.

Portsmouth name the same team which beat Lincoln 3-1 at Sincil Bank on Tuesday evening with ex-Blues frontman Ellis Harrison among the subs.

Town: Cornell, Donacien, Nsiala (c), McGuinness, Kenlock, McGavin, Huws, Nolan, Bennetts, Sears, Hawkins. Subs: Holy, Wilson, Judge, Lankester, Edwards, Jackson, Norwood.

Portsmouth: MacGillivray, Johnson, Nicolaisen, Raggett, Pring, Williams, Naylor (c), Cannon, Curtis, Harness, Marquis. Subs: Bass, Downing, Mnoga, Morris, Close, Hiwula, Harrison. Referee: Andy Haines (Tyne and Wear).

Photo: Matchday Images

BettyBlue added 14:18 - Nov 7 Lambert you are p*ss*ng away our season.
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shortmarine1969 added 14:27 - Nov 7 You are talking c*** Betty , a indisbultable fact is we are 2nd after 11 games.!
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norfolkbluey added 14:27 - Nov 7 Well that's a surprise. Let's hope its a win but you never know in this league. I think Kenny will be rubbing his hands together having beaten Lincoln with his side! Sears out of position again so where are the goals coming from and no Edwards. Unfortunately Harrison's name is all over this match in his form but good luck to the Town. COYB
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blues1 added 14:29 - Nov 7 Norfolkbluey. It's an fa cup tie u idiot. Clearly we have decided the league is more important than a cup run
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RobITFC added 14:30 - Nov 7 No league game for 2 weeks but has to rest 9 players ... disrespectful!! Portsmouth rest no one.
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BangaloreBlues added 14:30 - Nov 7 "It would be nice to go on a cup run", He says, as he puts out the B team.
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AlanG296 added 14:30 - Nov 7 A cup run and promotion are not mutually exclusive.
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heathen66 added 14:35 - Nov 7 Still persisting with the one up top then !!! Would liked to have seen a stronger side but should be good enough, however you do wonder where the goals are coming from. Hawkins holds the ball up well but needs a fellow striker round him. If we can sneak a goal we should be good enough to win !!!
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blues1 added 14:38 - Nov 7 Robitfc. We have players with knocks so makes sense not to risk them for a competition we have no chance of winning. Promotion is a must so seems right to me to prioritise the league. Normally I'd say a cup run would be good withvthexhope of getting a big tie in say, the 3rd round. But with no fans allowed, theres nothing to gain, either financially for the club or for the fans who cant attend anyway.

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blues1 added 14:42 - Nov 7 Heathen66. The formation is 4-3-3. Not 4-3-5-1. Just as it's has been all season, so it's not a tually 1 up front is it. Its 3 up front, just 2 playing wider. But yes, one or other of them needs to get into the box to help out hawkins.
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braveblue added 14:45 - Nov 7 Dobra not in 18. Crazy!!
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WeWereZombies added 14:47 - Nov 7 A team and bench with no Chambers or Skuse - I would have expected far more praise for Lambert than seen in the comments so far...
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RIPbobby added 14:47 - Nov 7 He picked a similar team versus Gills at home before we played them in the league a couple of weeks later.
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AlanG296 added 14:51 - Nov 7 The manager knows his best team wouldn't beat a team in the top 7 of our division, so as far as he is concerned, why try? Put the reserves out and he can maintain the illusion that his best team is a promotion contender. Deceptive start to the season and the slide to mid table has started.
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Bert added 14:52 - Nov 7 Strange comment as usual from Bettyblue bearing in mind she/he clearly has no interest in Town judging from her comments even when we win.
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LWNR2013 added 14:53 - Nov 7 That's not a bad looking line up. Left and right backs will need to be at their best, other nine- solid.
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positivity added 14:56 - Nov 7 alan g, we beat a team in the top 7 all of 3 weeks ago. our slide to mid table has so far taken us to the depths of 2nd!
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AlanG296 added 14:58 - Nov 7 Positivity. Look at the last 6 form, look at the form.
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DifferentGravy added 15:01 - Nov 7 The formation is 4-5-1. A 4-3-3 would see the wide men staying up field and creating crosses/chances/goals Disappointing we dont try two up front for this game
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AlanG296 added 15:01 - Nov 7 And by top 7 I meant promotion contenders, not accrington.
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BeattiesBackPocket added 15:08 - Nov 7 So yesterday it's ‘we want a cup run' now its 9 changes would contradict that statement! We struggled to beat a top 8 side with our first team so who knows maybe these guys might
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LWNR2013 added 15:18 - Nov 7 Looks like I was overly optimistic 0-2 lol
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jas0999 added 15:18 - Nov 7 Two down already. Very poor and no excuse.
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BlueandTruesince82 added 15:23 - Nov 7 Yeah a cup run would be great..... 9 changes it is
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BrandestonBlue added 15:23 - Nov 7 It's not like he has thrown the kids in - all the players have first team experience and it's their chance to show they should be in the first team- if they choose not to turn up then that says more about them than Lambert
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