Lincoln City fans could see summer signings handed their first starts for the club when the Imps travel to Blackpool in the Carabao Cup.
City have added several new faces since winning promotion to the Championship, but none have yet been named in the starting XI. Andrei Coubiș, Mason Melia, Tanto Olaofe and Callum Elder have all been introduced from the bench, while Aston Villa loanee Joe Gauci has provided competition for George Wickens in goal.
That could change at Bloomfield Road, with the second-round tie offering Tom Shaw and Chris Cohen an opportunity to give valuable minutes to players who arrived at different stages of the summer.
Speaking to Imps+, Shaw explained that the coaching staff have needed to manage the new arrivals carefully. Although their work on the training ground has been encouraging, some joined City without having completed enough preparation at their previous clubs.
“They’ve come in at certain parts of pre-season where they’re perhaps not match fit, so all of the new signings have been very, very positive on the training ground.
“We’re really excited to see some, if not all of them, fly tomorrow at Blackpool, but we’ve had to be a little bit patient with some stuff as well.”
City have already played three competitive matches this season, beating Derby County in the first round of the Carabao Cup before beginning their Championship campaign with defeats against Middlesbrough and Portsmouth.
The established core of last season’s promotion-winning squad has consequently been trusted to begin the campaign, with the newcomers gradually introduced as they build towards the physical levels demanded by the coaching staff.
Shaw suggested that work at the club’s Elite Performance Centre has been particularly important in helping those players close the fitness gap. The aim has not simply been to place them into the side as quickly as possible, but to ensure they are ready to make a sustained impact once selected.
“They’ve come from their parent clubs or other clubs not quite at peak fitness, so we’ve had to work with them on that, get them some minutes in the games and have a good graft at the EPC to get them up to speed.
“We’re excited to see the majority of those in the coming hours, weeks and months.”
The Blackpool tie could therefore provide the first proper glimpse of City’s rebuilt squad. Changes appear likely following Saturday’s 3-1 defeat against Portsmouth, but the match will also represent another opportunity to progress in a competition in which the Imps have already eliminated one Championship opponent.
For the new arrivals, it may be the night when patience finally gives way to a first City start.
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