Matt Taylor set to rest and rotate for Trophy tie

This is the last chance the fringe players will have outside of first-team action as Town do not have an under-23s side.

Former Wolves goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne made an appearance in the league game against Bolton last week after Marko Marosi went off with a back spasm – he has not started a game since Shrewsbury’s first in this competition this season, which was a tough 3-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers.

It will be a chance for Elliot Thorpe to make his first start in a Salop shirt – he has been back in the matchday squad now for the last couple of weeks, but Town fans are yet to see him make a meaningful appearance – it is exciting to see what he can bring to the table. Taylor says they have ‘no choice’ but to make changes ahead of this clash but thinks it is a good chance to look at some of his younger players. “Yes, we have to. We have no choice,” said Taylor when asked if he was going to make changes ahead of the visit of the Saddlers. “It gives us an opportunity to have a look at some youngster players in the group.

“We will make changes of course we will, because, with all due respect to the competition, we cannot progress. The most important thing for us to do now is to look forward to Blackpool. The players work so hard every day. They give me everything every day on the training pitch and every time they go on to that field.

“So we will need to look after a few of them. It is business as usual as we prepare for Blackpool, but we will look to make substantial changes for the next fixture.”

In this competition last year, Town used it as a chance for Josh Bailey, Declan Hutchings and Nana Owusu to get some first-team experience.

Shrews have gone down a different route this season, and because they have a bigger squad, those younger players have found opportunities to impress much harder to come by.

But they may get their chance tonight and it is down to them to take it when it comes.