Page aiming for consistency in team selection as Cobblers head to Oldham

Cobblers boss Rob Page named an unchanged team for Saturday's clash at Charlton

It has been a hectic opening few days to the new season for the Cobblers, who followed up their opening day Sixfields draw with Fleetwood with an extra-time EFL Cup win in south Yorkshire at Barnsley last Tuesday and then a 1-1 league draw in south London at Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

Page and his players are back on the road again tomorrow for a third away game in just eight days when they go to Boundary Park, and some managers might already be considering a bit of squad rotation.

Page though it somebody who believes in consistency, and he says he is keen to keep changes to an absolute minimum as the Cobblers continue to strive to find their feet at a higher level, and aim to stretch their superb 26-match unbeaten league run.

“There is a few tired bodies, understandably, from a big effort against Barnsley last Tuesday and then another away game against good opposition on Saturday,” said Page.

“There are tired bodies, but we will do whatever we can today (Monday) to get them in the right frame of mind, physically and mentally, for another tough battle on Tuesday.”

Asked if he was considering rotating his squad for the trip to the north west, Page said: “I think if you have consistency and you are getting positive results, then it is a brave thing to change it.

“So while the team has momentum, while they have confidence and while they are taking that confidence into games, you don’t want to change things for no reason.

“If there are a couple of knocks, injuries or fatigue, then of course we will look at it because it is about the 46 games of the season, not just the first half a dozen.

“But we will look at it, and if changes need to be made I will make them.”

Tiredness aside, there are no new injury concerns for Page ahead of the Oldham trip, and it is a match in which both sides will be looking for their first league win of the season.

The Cobblers have opened up with two 1-1 draws, while Oldham secured their first point of the campaign on Saturday, drawing 0-0 at home with Walsall after suffering a 3-0 opening day loss at Millwall.

And while the Cobblers have been clocking up the miles, Tuesday’s match will be Oldham’s third home game on the spin, as they also enjoyed an EFL Cup win at Boundary Park last midweek, seeing off Wigan Athletic 2-1.