MK Dons boss Warne to ring FA Cup changes for Oldham showdown
Paul Warne says Saturday's FA Cup second round clash with Oldham Athletic (ko 3pm) will offer the chance for fringe players to stake their claim for a regular starting place in the MK Dons team.
Dons entertain the Latics aiming to secure a place in the third round where English football's big guns lie in wait, but Warne has confirmed he will be making changes to the team that secured a 2-1 Sky Bet League Two success over Fleetwood Town last weekend.
It is an all league two affair, with third-placed Dons hosting 16th-placed Oldham, who earned their place in round two thanks to an emphatic 3-1 first round win over league one outfit Northampton Town.
The two sides have already met at Stadium MK this season, playing out a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the campaign, and although Warne is focused on another win for his side, he is planning on utilising his squad.
"I am looking forward to the game, and I will make some changes," said the Dons boss.
"I need to get some more game time into players and that's the joy for me, if I had put my bench in the team for Saturday we are still a really good team.
"It is never about the 11, it is always about the squad and that is why I am obsessed about cultures at football clubs because over the course of a season everyone plays a part, and you need everyone pushing in the same direction, so we will definitely lean on our squad.
"But whoever gets the shirt has to perform at a level to keep it, and if the lads who come in on Saturday, who may not have played as much, are better than the lads who played in the previous game then I am more than happy for them to keep the shirt.
"That's what it should be like, and that is how it feels here at the moment.
"So we will look at a team for the Oldham game and build for that, and then after that we have Notts County on Tuesday night, so we always have to have an eye on the next game and the game after that."