Boro travel to Portman Road for first-round clash
Stevenage could not have asked for a tougher first round draw in this season’s Capital One Cup.
Tonight’s opponents finished sixth in the Championship last season, and in manager Mick McCarthy have an experienced pro who is also a former team-mate of Sheringham’s when the two played together at Millwall some 25 years ago.
Yet ever since the Tractor Boys made the semi-final in 2011, when they lost 3-0 to Arsenal in the second leg after taking a 1-0 first-leg lead, they have struggled in the Capital One Cup.
They have been knocked out at the first round stage in three of the last four seasons, and in the remaining campaign were undone by lower league opposition in the second round away to Carlisle United.
Stevenage were among the sides to beat them in recent seasons. In 2013 Felipe Morais and Jordan Burrow got the goals in a 2-0 win for Graham Westley’s men
Team news
Mick McCarthy named his team in a press conference yesterday, and it includes six debutants. Here it is: Gerken, Chambers, Yorwerth, Berra, Kenlock, Coke, Douglas, Tabb, Toure, Pitman, McGoldrick.
It is a side that has 10 changes from the weekend, when Ipswich drew 2-2 with Brentford.
As for Stevenage, they’ve appealed Tom Hitchcock’s ban after his red card on Saturday. If they’re unsuccessful (the club will know by 6pm this evening) then Sheringham’s options up front are limited.
He could partner Dipo Akinyemi with Brett Williams again, but there is also the option of giving youngster Akinyemi a place on the bench after a 60-minute run-out on Saturday and shoring up the midfield a little by bringing back Tom Pett.
The winger has had a stop-start pre-season with muscle injuries, and a recent hamstring problem limited him to just a fleeting appearance off the bench on Saturday. New signing Jamie McCombe, once of Doncaster Rovers, was on the bench on Saturday and awaits his Boro debut.
Possible Stevenage XI: Day, Okimo, Hughes, Wells, Franks, Pett, Parrett, Lee, Conlon, Schumacher, Williams.
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