Town goalkeeper Christian Walton is confident that the Blues can take the lessons from last weekend’s defeat to Wrexham as they prepare to face the same opposition again on Saturday.

Last Friday saw Town make the 450-mile round trip to north Wales, where Josh Windass scored the only goal as Wrexham booked their spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

This weekend will see the Blues make the journey to the Racecourse Ground again, where they will be looking to beat the Red Dragons for the first time in their history and maintain pace with the Championship’s top two.

Having made wholesale changes, Kieran McKenna is expected to revert to a similar starting XI that beat Derby County in the most recent league match a fortnight ago.

Despite the likely change in personnel, Walton knows there is still plenty to take from the FA Cup exit to Phil Parkinson’s upwardly mobile side.

“Quite a lot, it will be one that we will look at in detail,” he said. “I don’t think their team will change drastically, obviously we made 10 changes going into the game so our team was a lot different with a lot of new relationships in there.

“From the manager’s point of view, I'm sure he’s going to look at the game and see where we can hurt them going into Saturday.

“Those cup games give players a massive opportunity to come into the team, do their thing and show what they’re all about. I was that in the last two seasons, those cup games gave me an opportunity to go out there and get that game time.

“It’s unfortunate that we haven’t got a bit more of a cup run to give lads games, but I think we’ve got enough games in the league. People are going to have to step up and there’s a big part to play for everyone.

“The FA Cup is a big thing and it’s something that the club obviously takes seriously. At the same time, I think we’ve got to keep one eye on what our goal is this season and that’s the league.

“Sometimes the FA Cup can give you a bit of congestion going into the back end of the season, but it’s obviously an important thing and it’s disappointing.”

Town are currently fourth in the Championship table and seven points outside the automatic promotion places after Coventry City’s victory over Middlesbrough on Monday.

With the Blues holding two games in hand over both, the race for promotion to the Premier League is in full swing and seems likely to go deep into the final weeks of the campaign.

Wrexham themselves are only outside the play-off places on goal difference, but Walton does not see the league meeting as an opportunity for revenge.

He said: “It’s a completely different game. There was a different team out there on Friday night, new relationships on the pitch and new lads coming into the team. It’s going to be a completely different game, but I think we can take a lot from the game. If we use it right, it’s going to be a positive for us.

“If they’ve watched our last however many games, I think they’ll know what we’re all about. I don’t think it’s going to just rely on one individual game. There’s a lot of things we can take from the game and it’s going to be important that we do that.

“They’ve all been really big games in this division but the last 16 games now are massive. A lot of Saturday-Tuesday games, opportunities for everyone to play a big part and obviously a lot of points to play for.

“It’s great when games are like that. They’re obviously a top team in the division, they’ve recruited really well in both windows and they are a team that we know are going to cause us problems on the day, but we need to do that to them. It’s going to be a good game as they all are now.”

An obvious danger man who Town will need no introduction to is striker Kieffer Moore, who is expected to return to the Red Dragons starting XI after being named on the bench last weekend.

Walton said: “From playing them at Portman Road, he didn’t play in that game and all they were looking to do was cross the ball in the box at all opportunities. It was the same last Friday when I was sat there watching it from the stands.

“He’s obviously a top striker at this level, we’ve seen firsthand how effective he is in those moments. We know what we need to stand up to on Saturday.

“I think it’s one of my strengths, I’d like to think I do try and come and affect as much as possible. That’s part of my game that I like to implement.

“It’s getting bigger now we’re seeing it in the Premier League, Arsenal are the ones that stand out and everyone’s following suit. It’s massive now and set plays are a big part of the game.”

Beyond Saturday’s game, the Blues will be beginning another busy run of seven matches in 22 days, with another away trip to Watford following in quick succession on Tuesday evening.

“As an individual, I really like it because you’re just getting into the flow of games,” Walton said on the schedule. “If someone isn’t quite right in one of the games, you know you’ve got another opportunity on the Tuesday or the Saturday to rectify what might not have been right.

“It’s good to get games and it’s making sure that the whole team is ready because everyone’s going to play a big part in those 16 games.

“I don’t think we’ll ever change from that, especially at this club. Each game is really different in this league, it’s just being ready for each individual test.”

On the importance of mental strength during busy spells, Walton added: “Not listening to outside noise is probably one of the biggest things from the group’s perspective because the narrative can change so quickly.

“If you win two games on the bounce, you’re the best team in the league. If you lose two on the bounce, you’re the worst. It’s just making sure that we stay consistent and don’t really listen to that.

“You want a confident team and you want confident individuals, it does play a massive part. Going into each game, we’re going to be confident.

“It’s a big test now, we’ve got a few games on the road and that’s going to bring confidence if we get two good results there. A lot of things are going to bring confidence to the group.”

Despite Town’s relatively healthy position heading into the final months of the season, expectations have been lifted following relegation from the Premier League last term and the financial advantages that come with that.

As a result, some supporters feel the Blues are underachieving so far this season, which Walton has no arguments with.

The 30-year-old said: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion, to be honest. That’s the game. There’s always going to be outside noise whether you’re not scoring enough or conceding too many.

“There’s always going to be that, whatever level you’re playing. It’s just making sure that we stay focused on our goals individually and as a collective, that’s the biggest thing.”

Photo: TWTD