Curle will not go full-strength in EFL Trophy tie against MK Dons

Cobblers boss Keith Curle will not pick a full-strength team for Tuesday's Papa John's Trophy last-16 tie with Milton Keynes Dons.

Town have had a 10-day break from their last fixture, a goalless draw against Sunderland, but with a busy run of games on the horizon, Curle will use tomorrow as an opportunity to rest and rotate.

The visit of Russell Martin's side is the first of 12 games before the end of February for Northampton, including seven Tuesday fixtures in the next 10 weeks.

Asked if he's tempted to pick an unchanged team to maintain their current momentum, Curle said: "No, there are going to be changes tomorrow night.

"There are some players that will be given pitch time because they have earned it and I need them to show me what they can do and it's an opportunity for them to do that, but we will be competitive."

Victory on Tuesday night would take Cobblers into the last eight of the EFL Trophy for the first time since 2004.

Curle added: "We have gone into every game in this competition putting out a team which we think can win that particular game and it's also an opportunity to represent the football club and for players to show what they are about and that they are picking up the ideas of what we're asking them to do in training.

"Implementing those ideas on game day is very important because if they are able to take onboard our instructions and express themselves in the right areas in a match, it gives them a better chance of staying in the team for the following week.

"Every time there's a fixture in any competition, the attitude of the players is that it's an opportunity to play, play well and stay in the team."