Pablo Couñago and Matt Richards will be in action for Town's reserves against Watford at Portman Road this evening (KO 7pm). Couñago will be out to impress manager Joe Royle, while Richards returns after a foot injury.

Royle says that the Spaniard will play the full match against the Hornets: "Pablo needs a game and he is set to play for 90 minutes. He will be one of the players I will be watching closely."

Town will be without strikers Dean Bowditch and Billy Clarke who are away on international duty this week.

The pair face one another in Cork on Friday when Clarke's Ireland U19 side takes on Bowditch's England in a UEFA U19 Championship first phase qualifier.

Back with the squad after international duty is Lewis Price who kept a clean sheet for the Wales U21 side on Friday. The Welsh U21s have no midweek international as Northern Ireland, their senior side's opponents, don't have an U21 team at present.

Frontman Darryl Knights is on the bench after his exploits with the victorious England U17s at Gillingham in the Pepsi Tournament over the last week.

Called up to the Town reserves for the first time is 16-year-old Northern Irish centre-half Chris Casement, who was inducted into Town's academy this summer.

Town: Price, Synnott, Richards, Garvan, Sobers, Mitchell, Flack, Dinning, Couñago, Atay, Barron. Subs: Craig, Supple, Casement, Manning, Knights.

Photo: Action Images

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