Boss Kieran McKenna says there’ll be plenty of changes when the Blues face AFC Wimbledon in round two of the Carabao Cup at Plough Lane on Wednesday evening with several of the recent signings set to make their Blues’ bows (Sky Sports+, KO 7.45pm).

McKenna wants to integrate his new additions into the squad as quickly as possible with the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Jens Cajuste, Conor Townsend, Jack Clarke, Chiedozie Ogbene, and Dara O’Shea all expected to feature against the League Two side.

“We'll utilise the squad, for sure,” McKenna confirmed at his pre-match press conference. “We are in a position where we've made a lot of additions to the group and we feel like that's going to really help us over the course of the season.

“But quite a few of them have been in recent weeks as well, so it's really important we get the squad up to speed as much as we can, both in terms of match minutes but also getting on the pitch together and playing together.

“For sure, there'll be a lot of changes from Saturday, that is important. We'll try and be as organised as we can as a team, but we also know the challenges of lots of new players coming together.

“That's going to be our process over this week and over the next few weeks, to be honest. We'll get started with that on Wednesday and hopefully put out a good performance.”

He says the Carabao Cup is a good opportunity to integrate those players into his squad: “Definitely. We want the games and we want to go through for the immediate reason of we want another round in the tournament at least after this.

“Then beyond that, it's a cup competition and you want to go into every cup believing that you can progress in it, reach the latter stages and maybe go and win it.

“We want to progress in the competition, but for now the priority is getting minutes into the group and getting this group of players together and moulding them into a team, which we've done over the last couple of years and now we have to renew that process with the additions we've made.

“The game is welcome for us this week and certainly the feeling in the group is that we're getting into a strong position in terms of numbers and we want to have some extra games in the weeks ahead.”

Last season’s Carabao Cup run, in which the Blues came from 2-0 behind to beat Premier League Wolves 3-2 at Portman Road before ultimately going out to Fulham in another home tie after a 3-1 defeat, instilled belief in the squad, McKenna recalled.

“That was a game that gave us confidence and it was a good competition in the early parts of the season for carrying numbers as we like to do,” he said regarding the win against Wolves.

“It's important to get game time and when the games go well it's good for the group it can build confidence in the group, it builds the spirit because more of the group feel like there's a game coming up as the team will often be rotated in this competition and it's good for keeping the group together.

“We can't look any further than Wednesday night, it's a difficult game away from home against a really physical, competitive team and we're going to have a lot of changes in the team and we're going to be integrating a lot of very talented but new players.

“That's going to bring some challenges, but that's the challenge ahead of us and we'll look to make the best of it tomorrow night.

AFC Wimbledon have made a positive start to the season and sit in eighth in the League Two table having won two - 4-2 at home to Colchester on the opening day and 1-0 at Cheltenham on Saturday - and lost one, a 2-0 defeat at Bromley.

In the previous round of the Carabao Cup, they won 2-1 at Bromley, a few days before the Ravens’ league win, while in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy - the EFL Trophy - they won 1-0 at home to Wycombe Wanderers.

“They've made a good start,” McKenna continued. “I know [manager] Johnnie [Jackson] very well [the pair were at Spurs together] and we feel like we know Wimbledon well, we've played them in different cup competitions and in the league not too long ago and always had tough matches against them. So we know quite a few of the players and we know the staff.

“We know the things that they do very well, they're always going to be a threat in terms of scoring goals, they play with a lot of bodies high up the pitch, they cross the ball and put bodies in your box and they've shown in the cup competitions over the last couple of years that they can compete and score goals against teams in higher leagues.

“I'm sure they'll look to create a difficult game for us tomorrow night and I'm sure it will be a difficult game, but we'll look to stand up with a good performance.”

Reflecting further on the game, which will go straight to penalties if level at 90 minutes, he added: “I think it's going to be a different test and at this stage of the season having different challenges can stand you in good stead.

“We know they're going to play more direct than the teams we've played so far and will look to put balls and bodies in our box with crosses and set-plays and give us a different type of challenge so we have to stand up to that.

“That's not what we're going to face every single week in the Premier League, but there's also going to be games where we are and there's also going to be moments in games where we have to stand up to that. So that's one challenge for tomorrow night.

“It’s also a game where I think we will have more of the ball than the opposition, and we've had two games where that hasn't been the case.

“Again, on a tight pitch away from home against a team that play with a back five, it's not going to be easy to break them down. That's our challenge to go there, stand up to their threats and go and try and see if we can break them down and score some goals.”

The Team

Second-guessing cup teams when there are going to be innumerable changes is always a tough ask, however, it seems likely most of the new signings who haven’t yet been involved will start.

Christian Walton will probably get the nod ahead of Cieran Slicker in goal with Conor Townsend making his debut at left-back.

Ben Johnson may be one survivor from Saturday at right-back with new signing O’Shea debuting alongside Cameron Burgess at the heart of the defence.

In central midfield, Phillips and Cajuste may be handed their debuts.
Ahead of them, Conor Chaplin may return in the centre of the three with Ogbene having been signed in time to make his debut on the right.

Jack Clarke will make his debut Town on the left, while Ali Al-Hamadi could start as the central striker against his old club.

Sammie Szmodics is unavailable having played - and scored twice - for Blackburn in round one.

History

Until 2019/20, Town and AFC Wimbledon had never met anywhere in a competitive or friendly fixture, the Dons having been reformed in 2002 following the original club’s hijack to Milton Keynes. Since then, Town have won three of the five games, Wimbledon one and three have been draws.

The teams last met in the FA Cup third round in January when the Blues beat the 10-man Dons 3-1 at Plough Lane in the first cup tie between the clubs.

Town went in front via a Josh Davison own goal on eight but home skipper Jake Reeves levelled from the penalty spot nine minutes later, before Axel Tuanzebe’s first career goal five minutes before the break and then a third from Jack Taylor right on time saw the Blues to victory over the Dons, who had been reduced in number just before the hour following Harry Pell’s dismissal for two bookable offences.

Prior to that, the teams last met on Burns Night in January 2022 when, appropriately, Wes Burns netted twice to see the Blues to a 2-0 victory at AFC Wimbledon and up to eighth in the League One table, five points from the play-offs.

Burns shot across the keeper in the 61st minute after good work from Kayden Jackson and James Norwood, then added the second on 87 after sub Macauley Bonne had found him with a cross-field pass.

In the dying moments, the Blues were reduced to 10 men when Kane Vincent-Young was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

In the previous August, the Wombles scored deep in injury time to come from two goals behind to claim a 2-2 draw at Portman Road.

Joe Pigott, who had joined Town after leaving the Dons in the previous summer, put the Blues in front from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute after Burns had been fouled, then the Welshman made it 2-0 two minutes later, before Ben Heneghan pulled one back for the visitors on 58.

Town looked on their way to their first win of the campaign until Jack Rudoni scored a second for the Dons five minutes into injury time.

Last year, Town beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 at home in round one of the Carabao Cup, defeated Reading 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw at the Madejski Stadium in round two, then came from 2-0 down to beat Premier League Wolves 3-2 at home in the third round before exiting to another top-flight side Fulham 3-1 at Portman Road in round four.

Familiar Faces

Blues striker Ali Al-Hamadi moved to Portman Road from the Dons in January, while former Town frontman Pigott rejoined the Londoners in the summer, scoring his first goal since his return in the weekend win at Cheltenham.

Third Round Draw

The draw for the third round will take place on Wednesday evening live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football following the Nottingham Forest-Newcastle United tie.

Prior to that game there will first be a pre-draw involving six clubs in European competition in order not to pair teams playing in the Champions League and the Europa League to avoid fixture congestion.

Referee

Wednesday’s referee is James Linington from Newport, Isle of Wight, who will be taking charge of his first game in 2024/25. Last season, he showed 106 yellow cards and one red in 23 games.

Linington’s most recent Town match was the 1-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday in September last year in which he booked Morsy, goalscorer Chaplin, Wes Burns, Vaclav Hladky and three Owls.

Before that, he refereed the 1-0 home victory over Rotherham at Portman Road in January 2019 in which he yellow-carded Cole Skuse, Will Keane and one Miller.

Prior to that, he was in charge of the 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest at the start of the previous month in which he booked Skuse and two home players.

He also refereed the 2-0 win against Barnsley in April 2018 in which he booked Jonas Knudsen and one Tyke and the 4-3 win at Millwall in August 2017 in which he cautioned Dominic Iorfa, Luke Chambers, Grant Ward and Joe Garner as well as two home players.

He took control of the 3-1 defeat at Cardiff in March of the same year in which he booked only Christophe Berra and Brett Pitman.

Before that, he was the referee in the 3-2 home victory over Blackburn two months earlier in which he booked Andre Dozzell and Tom Lawrence and awarded Rovers a penalty which was converted by Danny Graham, Adam Webster having tangled with Hope Akpan.

Linington refereed the 2-1 home victory over Sheffield Wednesday in August 2015 in which he booked Jonathan Douglas and Ryan Fraser and two of the visitors.

Before that he officiated in the 3-2 home win against Blackpool in April 2015 in which he kept his cards in his pocket throughout.

Earlier in the 2014/15 season he was the man in the middle for the 2-2 draw at Forest, when he booked only one home player, and the 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Portman Road in which he yellow-carded David McGoldrick and three Teessiders.

Squad From

Walton, Muric, Slicker, Johnson, Townsend, Davis, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burgess, Greaves, Phillips, Cajuste, Morsy, Luongo, Taylor, Hutchinson, Chaplin, J Clarke, Ogbene, Al-Hamadi, Delap, Ladapo.

Photo: TWTD

dirtydingusmagee added 14:22 - Aug 27 Hopefully Murik between sticks to give him opportunity to give better account of himself ,but not too much time for other newbies ,risking any further injuries in a cup game that is not a priority .
5

jayceee added 14:40 - Aug 27 Whereas we normally see cup games as a distraction from the league, this one couldn't have come at a better time to help shape the team.
4

Alberto_the_frog added 16:20 - Aug 27 "Town have won three of the five games, Wimbledon one and three have been draws". Maths seems not to be someone's strong point.
1

Stato added 16:27 - Aug 27 Regardless of result against Fulham there is an argument for a behind closed doors friendly during the international break to help gel all those not away on international duty
4

Facefacts added 16:42 - Aug 27 Harry Pell if still there will be putting himself about.
0

Radlett_blue added 18:42 - Aug 27 Why does ensuring that clubs involved in the Champions or Europa League don't play each other reduce fixture congestion? I'm sure it's more big club bias, to keep the big boys apart & the sponsors will be happy with a Man City v Liverpool final.
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ValleyBoyBlue added 08:23 - Aug 28 Has anyone mentioned that we may "need time to Gel" yet?
0

Alphawhiskey added 08:24 - Aug 28 Play all the new lads and keep the keeper in between the sticks. One bad game doesn't make you a bad player.
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Eeyore added 08:57 - Aug 28 Will definitely start with Muric. Morsy and Omari on bench in case things go wrong. Big game for Al-Hamadi. Won’t start with all new players so Woolfenden might start. Will Burgess be staying? Is he quick enough for the Prem?
1

Steelmonkey added 11:46 - Aug 28 Eeyore - he’s quick enough to be capped by Australia for international football, I’m surprised he’s not been played yet, more or less ever present last season when fit.
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BobbyBell added 14:59 - Aug 28 Radlett Blue. It doesn't make sense really does it. If they did play each other then one would go out and therefore have reduced fixtures. Avoiding each other means they are more likely to all progress and all have more fixtures.
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dirtydingusmagee added 16:37 - Aug 28 ValleyBoyBlue yes Paul Cook ,he phoned last night .
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