AFC Wimbledon will have to do without midfield pair Jimmy Abdou and Liam Trotter for tomorrow night's Carabao Cup tie against Brentford.
Assistant manager Neil Cox today confirmed that Jimmy (ankle injury) and Liam (knee injury) will miss the first round tie against the Bees.
Speaking during an interview for iFollow, Neil called on other squad members to take their opportunities in a match he says everyone is looking forward to.
"Liam and Jimmy are both injured and they may be struggling for Saturday as well," said Neil. "It is a big blow for us, but we have a good squad and it gives an opportunity for someone to step-in and stake a claim for a place.
"We are really looking forward to the game. It is a local derby against a good side who are going to pass the ball well, make good angles, and put us under a lot of pressure. I think tomorrow night is absolutely massive for the football club – we want to try and progress in the competition. We cannot wait for tomorrow as it is the club's first home tie in the competition. Hopefully, it will be a full house, under the lights, and it will be a good atmosphere."
Neil has called on the squad to take Saturday's second-half form into tomorrow night's match against a Brentford side beaten 1-0 by Championship new boys Sheffield United on Saturday.
"Every game is different and we have to be aware of them," added Neil. "At half-time on Saturday, the manager got into the players, told them what we expect, and to do things a little bit differently. I thought we were excellent in the second-half. We need to start the game a little bit more like that. We have watched a full DVD of their game against Sheffield United. They've not changed the way that they play. They try and play through the lines, get good players on the ball, and make good runs forward. They play a lot inside the play and our one versus one defending will need to be really good, but hopefully the way that we play will give them problems."
Tickets are still available for tomorrow night's match. Visit our online ticket shop to order in advance.
The full interview with Neil Cox is now on iFollow and an interview with George Francomb.