Town boss Kieran McKenna says Saturday’s sell-out FA Cup third round tie against AFC Wimbledon is a welcome change following the gruelling Christmas Championship fixture programme.

The Blues, still second in the division but now only three points of Southampton in third, played four games in nine days with illness and injury hampering them significantly during that period.

Town, who are now without a win in five, although while losing only once, having won the previous four, have an opportunity to get back to winning ways and make progress in the cup against the League Two Wombles in an early kick-off - due to the game being shown live abroad - on Saturday.

“It’s coming at a good time in terms of it not being a rest but with a change being as good as the rest, as the saying goes,” McKenna said.

“So it's a chance to focus on something completely different, focus on a different competition, different type of opposition, different type of game, different brand of football, literally, obviously with the Mitre [balls used in the competition] and things like that. It just freshens up the routine a little bit.

“So, it's a competition and a game to look forward to. Of course, there'll be changes in the side from Stoke, but there were changes over the Christmas period anyway and the large majority of the squad have now had a game over the last ten days.

“Hopefully that helps us and we'll do everything we can over the next 24 hours especially to prepare for what we expect to be a really difficult cup tie.”

Town, who won the FA Cup for the only time in 1978, involved 18-year-old striker Gerrard Buabo as a late sub against QPR, the academy product’s league debut, and McKenna was asked whether any other youngsters might be involved at Plough Lane.

“We'll have a look at it in terms of what's right for the individuals and, most importantly, what's right for the group and for the team for the season to try and progress in the competition and also to have a successful season,” he said.

“And always within that, if there are young players we feel like are really deserving of an opportunity then we'll look to give it to them.

“I'd say we rotated quite a lot over the Christmas period anyway. I think there were seven outfield changes from QPR to Stoke.

“Luke Woolfenden and Conor Chaplin were the only players who played the last three games in a row, so there are not too many players coming off back-to-back-to-back games.

“We feel that we'll be able to field a really competitive side while still taking account to rest those who need it the most. And we'll make those decisions as we see right, really.”

While a cup run can provide a distraction to a team pushing for promotion, it can also give a boost, as the Blues found in the 1991/92 season and McKenna felt was the case last year as well when his side despatched Championship Rotherham 4-1 at Portman Road in the third round before taking that division’s runaway leaders Burnley to the final minute of a replay before losing 2-1 at Turf Moor in round four.

“I think a lot can depend on the context of your season, really,” he reflected. “Of course, there's only a limited number of teams in the hat who have a realistic chance of winning the competition and we're probably further towards the teams that are unlikely to win it.

“But I think it can add different things to your season, depending on the context and where you're at.

“I think last year it was a big addition for us, for example. The Rotherham game and the Burnley game, as a team who were pushing for promotion from League One and in a really competitive League One battle.

“I think it gave the group great confidence in how we were going about things. We knew after those games that we were on the right track and that if we kept working as we were, then a), we'd have a great chance to be successful at the end of the season League One and B), we were on the right track for doing well in the Championship should we get there. So it can give a boost to your season in different periods.

“For sure this season, there's no doubt about it, our priorities are very, very much on the league games and the season that we're having has only exemplified that, and that would be our biggest focus for the second half of the season.

“At the same time, we've had some injuries over the last week or two, but we have a healthy squad. We want to add to that squad over the next couple of weeks.

“The fixture schedule in the second half of the season in the Championship isn't quite so rigorous and we'd be more than happy to progress in the competition and have that extra fixture.

“So, I think for the biggest clubs in the country, it's a fantastic competition to win. For other clubs in the country, it's a fantastic competition of tradition and a chance to cause upsets and go as far as you possibly can, and within that for each individual team it depends on the context of the season.

“But for us, we're going to try and win the game. We're going to try and go through. That will be the target and the motivation for Saturday. And within balancing up the right thing for the squad for the season, we'll pick and prepare a team that we think gives us a chance to do that.”

AFC Wimbledon are currently seventh in League Two having drawn 1-1 away against bottom club Forest Green Rovers on New Year’s Day. At home in the league this season they have won five, drawn three and lost two.

In the cup, they thrashed League One strugglers Cheltenham 5-1 at Plough Lane in round one, then similarly hammered non-league Ramsgate 5-0 at home in round two.

“They are doing well,” McKenna said. “I know [manager] Johnnie [Jackson] really well. I've played with him, of course, at Tottenham. I've come up against him at Charlton, we played AFC Wimbledon in pre-season last summer.

“I think he's a good coach and a good manager and they're having a good season. Of course, they've had forward players in fantastic form, and they've lost some of those to the Asian Cup now, which is the reality for lots of clubs. But I'm sure that will be something that they'll have to overcome.

“But they've been in good form, scoring lots of goals and they put themselves in the play-off position now. I'm sure they'll be positive going in the second half of the season.

“We know it's going to be a tough game, it's a tight ground, we've been there and it's not an easy place to go.

“It's the FA Cup. It's an early kick-off on a Saturday. It's going to be a challenging game, there’s no two ways about that. Whichever team we put on the pitch, it would be a really difficult game for us. 

“So our challenge now is to get our focus and our preparation as good as possible, go there, stand up to what they bring, and do everything we can to get through to the next round.”

Second-guessing McKenna’s side isn’t easy - particularly with a couple of unnamed players having picked up knocks at Stoke - but it may well be Christian Walton comes in for only his second start of the season in goal, the other the 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Fulham.

Brandon Williams may return at in one of the full-back roles having been left out of the side which drew 0-0 at Stoke on Monday after starting the previous Friday against QPR, which also ended goalless.

Town, with Leif Davis out with a calf problem, are limited in their options at left-back with Cameron Humphreys perhaps getting the nod unless McKenna feels Harry Clarke is up to a second game in six days in which case the former Arsenal man will probably be on the right with Williams on the left.

At centre-half, the Blues have limited options with Cameron Burgess and Elkan Baggott away at the Asian Cup with Australia and Indonesia respectively.

McKenna could give George Edmundson another game, the ex-Rangers defender having impressed against the Potters, with one of Woolfenden, Axel Tuanzebe or perhaps Dominic Ball partnering him.

In central midfield, skipper Sam Morsy looks set to start with the Egyptian international absent for the next two league games due to suspension after hitting 10 bookings. Morsy wouldn’t otherwise have a match until the Blues host Rotherham in the Championship on January 27th.

Humphreys could partner his captain if not required at left-back with Jack Taylor and Ball other options.

In the three ahead of them, new signing Jeremy Sarmiento looks set to make his Town debut with Marcus Harness and Omari Hutchinson perhaps taking up the other roles with the Blues probably looking to rest Chaplin, who has started every league game this season, Wes Burns and Nathan Broadhead, at least from the start.

Sone Aluko could also play a role at some stage, while Freddie Ladapo seems likely to start as the number nine.

If McKenna is going to include any U21s in the squad, midfielder Ryan Carr and Leon Ayinde may well be in the frame having been on the bench for the Carabao Cup ties earlier in the season.

Like Town, Wimbledon have two players at the Asian Cup, both regulars, Omar Bugiel with Lebanon and Ali Al-Hamadi with Iraq.

On-loan midfielder Charlie Lakin has returned to his parent club Burton Albion, while Ryan McLean and Morgan Williams are back with the Dons following spells with Kidderminster Harriers and Woking respectively.

Until 2019/20, Town and AFC Wimbledon had never met anywhere in a competitive or friendly fixture, the Dons having been reformed in 2002 following the original club’s hijack to Milton Keynes. Since then, Town have won two of the four games, Wimbledon one and three have been draws.

The teams last met on Burns Night in January 2022 when, appropriately, Wes Burns netted twice to see the Blues to a 2-0 victory at AFC Wimbledon and up to eighth in the League One table, five points from the play-offs.

Burns shot across the keeper in the 61st minute after good work from Kayden Jackson and James Norwood, then added the second on 87 after sub Macauley Bonne had found him with a cross-field pass.

In the dying moments, the Blues were reduced to 10 men when Kane Vincent-Young was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

In the previous August, the Wombles scored deep in injury time to come from two goals behind to claim a 2-2 draw at Portman Road.

Joe Pigott, who had joined Town after leaving the Dons in the summer, put the Blues in front from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute after Burns had been fouled, then the Welshman made it 2-0 two minutes later, before Ben Heneghan pulled one back for the visitors on 58.

Town looked on their way to their first win of the campaign until Jack Rudoni scored a second for the Dons five minutes into injury time.

Town kitman James Pullen was a goalkeeper at Wimbledon between August 2008 and May 2010.

The fourth round draw will take place on Monday 8th January at 7.50pm ahead of the Wigan-Manchester United third-round tie, which kicks off at 8.15pm.

Saturday’s referee is Matthew Donohue from Manchester, who has shown 81 yellow cards and one red in 17 games so far this season.

Donohue has refereed two previous Town matches, the most recent the 3-0 home victory over Hull City in October in which he - unusually judging by his overall stats - kept his cards in his pocked throughout.

Prior to that, Donohue was in charge of the 1-1 draw at Morecambe in February 2022 in which he booked only Macauley Bonne and Tyreeq Bakinson.

Squad from: Hladky, Walton, Slicker, Williams, Clarke, Davis, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Morsy, Luongo, Taylor, Ball, Humphreys, Carr, Burns, Chaplin, Broadhead, Sarmiento, Harness, Aluko, Hutchinson, Ayinde, Ladapo, Jackson, Buabo.

Photo: TWTD

TimmyH added 21:03 - Jan 4 No doubt we'll be seeing quite a few changes, I'm going for: Walton, Williams, Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Humphreys, Ball, Morsy, Aluko, Sarmiento, Ladapo and Hutchinson.
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gosblue added 21:51 - Jan 4 There was a strange reaction from McKenna and the team as they left the pitch at Stoke. They only briefly acknowledged the away support before quickly leaving the pitch. I hope they didn’t think we were booing them at the end when we were booing the substitute referee who was a joke. Whoever plays against Wimbledon, we need to get behind the team. COYB
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SoCalTownFan added 22:55 - Jan 4 I say they focus on the 3 white posts with the net behind it, the one WITHOUT the tall man they know, standing in the middle of it. Endlessly passing it around, in front of a 10 man defence, isn't working. Call me old fashioned by my suggestion is to shoot or to run at the defence and try and get through (or draw a foul). Trying to walk it into the back of the net is not happening and the temptation to pass it back to Hdalky and turn an attack into a brown trouser moment seems to be overwhelming at the moment. Secondly, the team need to focus on corners, I'd say we are up to about 80 consecutive corners where nothing has come of it. The opposition defence always seem to get there first, we've run out of ideas so go buy some from somewhere. Also I'd give Baggot a go, every time he gets a chance he does well and midget he is not (see above re corners)

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CobboldBill added 23:06 - Jan 4 Can anyone tell me what channel abroad it’s being screened live on?
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:37 - Jan 5 In Sweden at any rate, it's Viasat Sport.
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dirtydingusmagee added 11:33 - Jan 6 lets get on the Wombley road to Wembley and get the positive vibes going, again , COYB
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