Nolan wants squad players to shine against Chelsea and give him selection headache
Kevin Nolan has challenged his Cobblers squad players to 'showcase' what they are all about in Tuesday night's Vertu Trophy clash with Chesea Under-21s (ko 7pm) and force their way into his plans for a start in Saturday's Sky Bet League One clash with Bolton Wanderers.
The Town boss is promising to go strong for the Sixfields showdown with the young Blues, and says he wants 'a run in the competition', but has confirmed there will be changes to the team that started the 2-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers at the weekend.
It is likely that the majority of the substitutes named at Adams Park will start against Chelsea, with the likes of Jordan Willis and Joe Wormleighton, who travelled to Buckinghamshire but didn't make the bench, also getting game time.
Nolan has confirmed Michael Jacobs will start, with the likes of Kamarai Swyer, Jack Vale and Elliot List also set to be named from the off.
The bulk of the starting XI at Wycombe will also still be in involved against Chelsea, but Nolan wants those given their chance to shine to do exactly that, and give him a headache ahead of the league date with Bolton.
"We have set our standards high, and that is where I expect to get back to on Tuesday," said Nolan, who couldn't hide his disappointment at the Town performance in the defeat to the Chairboys on Saturday.
"Chelsea is the next game, and we want to win it. I want to win, I want to have a run in the competition, and we want a win.
"We have a squad that will be chomping at the bit now to try and win the shirt so they are playing in the game on Saturday, and that is what I wanted, competition all around.
"All of the players involved on Saturday will be involved again on Tuesday, I am not taking the competition lightly, we are going at it and we want to win that game, like I wanted to win on Saturday
"We are not coming off it, we are really looking forward to it and it is another game where we can get minutes into lads of course, but it is also a real opportunity for them lads to show me what they are about, showcase what they do, and work their way into the first team.
"We want to build robustness in the squad and I think we have got that, but there are lads here now who we can change.
"There will be changes to the team, don't get me wrong, but the reason we will make changes is to give those players the opportunity to show us and the staff that they are ready to go.
"And when they get their opportunity, they have got to take it, and I feel they are breathing down each other's necks to be in that starting 11 come Tuesday, and then also then for Saturday.
"Whoever gets in the lucky 11, gives themselves a real opportunity to showcase what they can do, and that is what these games can do. We want to get back to winning ways."
The clash with Chelsea is the Cobblers' first group game in this season's Vertu Trophy.
Their other games are against league two opposition as they go to Walsall on October 7, with Shrewsbury Town coming to Sixfields on November 11.