Iorfa and Celina set to Feature for First Time at Peterborough
Tuesday, 18th Jul 2017 13:04

Loan duo Dominic Iorfa and Bersant Celina are set to make their first appearances in Town shirts when the Blues take on League One Peterborough United in an 120-minute pre-season friendly at the ABAX Stadium this evening (KO 7pm).

Recently-signed striker Joe Garner will be looking to add to his three goals in the first two pre-season friendlies - the 5-0 win at Drogheda and the behind-closed-doors 4-1 defeat of Southend United at Playford Road - but two of Town’s other signings won’t be involved.

Tom Adeyemi is unwell, while Emyr Huws is not yet ready to play having only just returned to training after an extended break after being away with the Wales squad until mid-June.

Tommy Smith and Monty Patterson have both already been involved in pre-season games having also returned to the club late having been with New Zealand at the Confederations Cup late into the summer, while David McGoldrick, who was with the Republic of Ireland squad, will play his first game of pre-season this evening.

Andre Dozzell is not yet back in training with the Blues having played for the England U19s in Sunday's European Championships final in which they beat Portugal 2-1.

A number of youngsters, some not involved in first-team games so far during pre-season including striker Declan Daniels, will also make the trip to Cambridgeshire, although defender Pat Webber, who featured at Drogheda, is with Aldershot and is likely to play in their friendly against Chelsea's U23s tomorrow evening.

Former Blues striker Jack Marriott is likely to be in the Posh squad, having joined them from Luton Town earlier in the summer.

The match will be played in four periods of half an hour with a five-minute break between the first two quarters.

Both clubs plan to change their XIs in their entirety at the midway point when there will be a break of half an hour with the second 60 minutes expected to end at around 9.35pm.

Speaking after the Drogheda match, manager Mick McCarthy says he liked the idea of the extended game, which he said was Peterborough’s suggestion.

“I like the idea, it was theirs," he said. “It just starts to progress them, they get 60 minutes. It means two teams can play 60 minutes instead of one 60 and one 30.”

Tickets are available on the gate at £12 for adults, £10 for senior citizens/under-22s, £5 for under-18s and £1 for under-12s.

Photos: ITFC

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