Town make one enforced change for this evening’s home game against Stoke City with Ivan Azon starting for the suspended George Hirst.

The Scotland international misses out having amassed five bookings and the on-loan Como frontman makes fifth start for the club.

Keeper Alex Palmer is back in the squad and on the bench for the first time since injuring his calf in the home game against Charlton. Ben Johnson also returned to the subs.

Stoke make four changes from the team which lost 4-0 at Sheffield United on Saturday, handing centre-half Maksym Talovierov his first league start for the club having signed from Plymouth in the summer with Ashley Phillips suspended, also for reaching five yellow cards.

Former Blues left-back Aaron Cresswell, Steven Nzonzi, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, and Lamine Cisse also come into the team.

Million Manhoef, Eric Bocat and Tatsuki Seko all drop to the bench. Midfielder Ben Pearson is also back among the subs after injury.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, Walle Egeli, Nunez, Philogene, Azon. Subs: Palmer, Cajuste, Young, Johnson, McAteer, Szmodics, Greaves, Akpom, Clarke.

Stoke: Johansson, Tchamadeu, Cresswell, Wilmot (c), Talovierov, Lawal, Nzonzi, Junho, Thomas, Cisse, Mubama. Subs: Bonham, Pearson, Bozenik, Seko, Bocat, Rigo, Gallagher, Gibson, Manhoef. Referee: Adam Herczeg (Durham).

Photo: Matchday Images