PHIL Parkinson will have one eye on this weekend’s crunch clash with Brentford when he names his side to take on West Ham in the Carabao Cup tonight.
Big changes are planned at the Olympic Stadium with youngsters Jeff King, Jake Turner, Ryan White, Jack Earing and Harry Brockbank all drafted into the first team party travelling to face the Premier League Hammers.
Keeper Ben Alnwick will sit out with a minor neck injury and on-loan West Ham pair Reece Burke and Josh Cullen are ineligible leaving Parkinson facing the prospect of making significant changes to the team which lost at Ipswich in the Championship on Saturday.
“I think we do need to freshen the teams up,” Parkinson told The Bolton News. “Some of the lads are carrying minor niggles, which will have to be assessed down there at the hotel, so I haven’t named my team yet.
“But it’s fair to say we have got two big games coming up against Brentford and Bristol City and there are players who deserve a chance to play.
“We took a few of the younger lads down with us on Saturday and I think it’s good even if they don’t get on the pitch to be in and around the first team environment, mixing with the first team players.”
Parkinson also expects Slaven Bilic to name a very different side from the one which drew against West Brom last time out.
“They have got a big local derby against Tottenham at the weekend so you’d imagine the likes of Andy Carroll won’t be involved,” he said.
“I would think Slaven Bilic will make changes, as most clubs will at this stage of the competition, but we won’t know until kick-off.”
Though upcoming challenges in the league take precedent, Parkinson believes a night off Championship action could be beneficial for himself and his players.
“There is a lot of frustration around after Saturday but I think it’s important we switch off from it and go and enjoy the occasion,” he said.
“We’ll want to give a good account of ourselves and see how we compare to a Premier League team like West Ham.
“I don’t think pressure has been as issue for us, and I don’t think we played like we were on Saturday.
“But we will put some pressure on ourselves to perform well and carry on some of the components from Saturday. The onus will be on West Ham to win as favourites but there’s still a lot we can get out of this game as well.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel