Plymouth Argyle team news for Vertu Trophy tie against Tottenham under-21s
Two of Plymouth Argyle's most experienced players will start the Vertu Trophy tie against Tottenham Hotspur under-21s at Home Park tomorrow (7pm) while one of the club's summer signings is also set to finally make his debut.
Goalkeeper Conor Hazard will make his playing comeback after recovering from a knee ligament injury he suffered in an international match for Northern Ireland against Denmark in June.
Joe Edwards will captain the Pilgrims in the second of their three Southern Section group B games while left-back Jack MacKenzie, who joined from Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen this summer, is expected to get a run-out after missing the start of the season due to a knee injury.
Edwards is currently serving a three-match League One suspension after his red card in the 3-2 win away to Luton Town on September 13, but he is eligible to play in the Vertu Trophy.
Given the fact that the 34-year-old will not be available for selection in League One until the trip to Mansfield Town on October 11 the game against Tottenham under-21s comes at a good time for Edwards.
He captained Argyle when they beat Cheltenham Town 2-0 at home in their first Vertu Trophy match of the season on September 2, with striker Lorent Tolaj getting both of their goals that night.
Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley will select a strong side for the game against Tottenham under-21s, who drew 4-4 away to Bristol Rovers in their first group game after leading 3-0 inside the opening 20 minutes, and then lost 5-4 in the subsequent penalty shoot-out.
Cleverley said: "We used the Cheltenham game last time to get some goals - Tolly scored two. We went strong, it kickstarted a little period of wins and better performances, so it's a really important game for me.
"It will be a chance to see Conor back, which is good news. It will be a chance to see a couple of our younger players, but it will very much look like a first team game, and it will be approached like a first team game."
Edwards began his ban when Argyle lost 1-0 at home to Peterborough United on Saturday and his experience and leadership qualities were sorely missed.
Cleverley said about Edwards playing against Tottenham under-21s: "I think it's a well-timed game for Joe that he doesn't decondition. You can see he's a hugely important player for us.
"We really miss his leadership. It was my worry last week after the happiness of the result (against Luton) that I thought it could be a bit of a shockwave, Joe's red card, and definitely the most significant decision the referee made that day because we don't really have another profile like it at the football club.
"It's time for others to step up. I obviously do my utmost through the week and from the touchline but you need some on field as well."
Midfielder Caleb Roberts, 19, is likely to play for Argyle in the Vertu Trophy tie after getting only limited game-time this season, and the Pilgrims also have the option of selecting two of their young professionals who are currently out on loan.
New rules this season mean that Joe Hatch and Jack Matthews could feature for the Pilgrims against Tottenham under-21s without having any impact on their current loan spells to Taunton Town and Bath City respectively as those clubs are outside the EFL.
Taunton do have a Southern League Premier Division South game away to Dorchester Town on Tuesday night but Bath are not in midweek action. Hatch started for Taunton when they lost 4-0 away to Farnham Town on Saturday while Matthews was in Bath's side for their 1-0 home National League South defeat by Chelmsford City.
