Town boss Kieran McKenna makes eight changes for this evening’s FA Cup fifth round tie against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Keeper Alex Palmer, right-back Axel Tuanzebe and skipper Sam Morsy are the only survivors from Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester United.

Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess, who is making 100th appearance under McKenna, are the centre-halves with Conor Townsend at left-back.

Morsy is joined in central midfield by Massimo Luongo, making only his fourth start of the season.

Ahead of them, Ben Johnson looks set to be on the right, Jack Taylor as the number 10 and Nathan Broadhead on the left with George Hirst the out-and-out striker.

On the bench are one-time Forest loanee Aro Muric, Leif Davis, Jens Cajuste, Liam Delap, Jacob Greaves, Dara O’Shea, Jaden Philogene, Jack Clarke, who has scored three goals in the FA Cup so far this season, and young forward Tommy Taylor, in the senior squad for the first time.

Sammie Szmodics is the only surprise absentee from the 20-man squad having returned to action as a late sub at Old Trafford.

Forest make six changes from the team which drew 0-0 at home to Arsenal last Wednesday with only Matz Sels, Ola Aina, Murillo, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi keeping their places. Former Blues loanee Chris Wood is on the bench.

Forest: Sels, Morato, Murillo, Sangare, Aina, Danilo, Yates (c), Elanga, Moreno, Hudson-Odoi, Awoniyi. Subs: Hennessey, Williams, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Wood, Dominguez, Jota, Sosa, Boly.

Town: Palmer, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Burgess, Townsend, Morsy (c), Luongo, Johnson, J Taylor, Broadhead, Hirst. Subs: Muric, O'Shea, Greaves, Davis, Cajuste, Philogene, T Taylor, Clarke, Delap. Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland). VAR: Jarred Gillett.

Photo: Matchday Images

Chris_ITFC added 19:00 - Mar 3 Disappointing. Hate to be negative, but hard to see that XI getting a result.
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bringmeaKuqi added 19:00 - Mar 3 I suspect that this line up will draw some criticism from some quarters, particularly from the clever clogs who will have seen the final result coming if we lose. But in all honesty, and with the absentee list we have, this is still a decent side with players who have a good number of appearances in the league this season.
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Scuzzer added 19:02 - Mar 3 Who is T Taylor who's on the bench?
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Leejames99 added 19:03 - Mar 3 We are a joke, defense is fine but midfield and front 3 is an absolute joke, I hope we win but Morsy and Luongo let's see.
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TimmyH added 19:07 - Mar 3 Other than Townsend at LB and Burgess deservedly coming back in the rest shows McK's intent on going as far as possible in this cup (i.e. not much).
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groundhog added 19:07 - Mar 3 At least he didn't put Muric in goal. That would have been a nailed on loss
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ImAbeliever added 19:07 - Mar 3 It’s a bigger game on Saturday, so logical selection I believe.
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muccletonjoe added 19:08 - Mar 3 6 from the lg one season. Perhaps mckenna has been told to look after the 130 million
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Leejames99 added 19:08 - Mar 3 Ashton does not look happy at all, this team got trounced at home by Maidstone, a chance to get to quarter finals for first team since 90s. Poor Delap, Tuchel there to watch him, I'm glad this team is out, Dad's Army fans you asked for it, you got it. Something tells me this is a mutiny selection
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ImAbeliever added 19:12 - Mar 3 plus, we have strong options for final period to get us over the line.
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Gforce added 19:19 - Mar 3 So do Forest!
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TimmyH added 19:20 - Mar 3 I should add without being too unfair on Hirst and Broadhead it's the 5 playing in the middle (which really is a 5 at the back playing as wingbacks that are particularly weak)...Johnson, Luongo, Morsy and Taylor.
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Dizzyhat added 19:20 - Mar 3 Scuzzer, T Taylor is Tom Taylor, a striker from the academy.
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armchaircritic59 added 19:22 - Mar 3 Having read that, I'm hiding behind the sofa and praying! But you never know!
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Gforce added 19:27 - Mar 3 Sorry but it's a very average side ,at least on paper,but I'll forgive him ,if we somehow get a result at Palace.
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Gforce added 19:30 - Mar 3 With that side,might as well watch EastEnders instead.
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SickParrot added 19:45 - Mar 3 The last 16 of the cup merits a better team than that. Feel sorry for Hirst and Broadie, I don't think they will get any decent service.
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blues1 added 20:25 - Mar 3 LeeJames99. Got trounced by Maidstone? Ridiculous comment. They had 2 shots and scored them both. We had 36 shots and their keeper had a stormer. So yes, we lost, but to say we were trounced is so daft. 99 times out of a,hundred we'd have won that game 6 or 7-0, maybe more.
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blueboy1981 added 20:40 - Mar 3 Questions soon need to be asked of McKenna, as to what his motives are since getting his hands on that lucrative and long contract ? We’ve tended to be a too Cosy Club for some in the past, some things never seem to change !
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Leejames99 added 21:00 - Mar 3 @blues1 ? Still lost and considering Maidstone non league and we were at home we were knocked out of cup so trounced - trounce means to punish severely!
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Linkboy13 added 16:41 - Mar 5 You can be the highest paid manager in the world but if you haven't got the tools to work with you are doomed. McKenna will still be in demand dispite what some of the numpties say on here but any club wanting his services will have to pay for it. The sack the manager brigade make me laugh they never come up with any viable alternatives.
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