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The Clarets will once again field an inexperienced team with only Arthur Gnohere, who will captain the side, Paul Scott and Matt O’Neill included from the first team squad.
There is an opportunity though for Nicky Summerbee who has been training with us having been released by Leicester at the end of last season. He will play on the right hand side as the Clarets go looking for their first points of the season.
The team is:
Michael Hale, Danny Pitham, Neal Trotman, Arthur Gnohere, Paul Scott, Nicky Summerbee, Ross Preston, Darrel Avery, Marc Pugh, Damien Hindle, Matt O’Neill. Subs: Tom Ince, Rhys Carpenter, Alex Taylor, Joe Booth.
Barnsley are a club who have been in total chaos for most of the last year, are still in administration and have seemingly had more takeovers than they have played games.Their reserves, usually very strong, have started no better than the Clarets and are also looking for their first point after opening up with two defeats. The first of those was a 3-1 reverse away to Walsall and last week they were beaten 3-0 at home by Sheffield Wednesday who have chosen to drop down from the Premiership reserve league. Former Claret Paul Smith was one of the Wednesday scorers.
Their side this afternoon includes two players who made their Barnsley debuts against the Clarets back in January 2001. They are Steve Hayward and Isaiah Rankin who were brought in by then new manager Nigel Spackman.
Rankin had made a Bolton debut against us at the beginning of the season and Hayward that day on his Barnsley debut scored a cracker at the Jimmy Mac end although the Clarets won 2-1.
They have one famous name, Griff Jones, back from injury but Robbie Williams misses out having not recovered from a knock and Carl Barrowclough, son of former Newcastle and Barnsley winger Stewart, is looking for full fitness after two years of injury problems.
Barnsley also include two trialists. Former Stoke goalkeeper Danny Alcock is making his first appearance whilst Steven Carson from Rangers played in the Sheffield Wednesday defeat.
The Barnsley team is,
Danny Alcock, Dave Mulligan, Paul Gibbs, Steve Hayward, Neil Austin, Ryan Laight, Alex Neal, Kevin Dixon, Isaiah Rankin, Griff Jones, Steven Carson. Subs: Nicholas Wroe, Craig Parry, Thomas Harban, Nathan Joynes, Carl Barrowclough.