Stevenage may be top of League One but as far as Steve Evans is concerned, their real baptism of fire at the level comes in the next six weeks.

Boro lead the standings by one point but have Charlton Athletic at the Lamex on Saturday.

And the boss believes they, as well as others, are some of the super heavyweights in the division.

He said: "We've got a real tough game on Saturday but the whole group is focused and the ones that we've got available for selection will be fine-tuned and ready. 

"Charlton, Portsmouth, Derby County, Barnsley and Bolton - these are former Premier League clubs. 

"We know how tough our challenge is every week of this season but when we lose, we'll keep it controlled and calm inside the building, and when we win, we'll keep it calm and controlled inside the building. 

"That's what promotion managers do. 

"We're in a good place in League One, but as I said to the players, the real League One comes in the next six weeks with the quality of opposition. 

"And there's probably only one or two that can claim to be a bigger club than Charlton Athletic. 

"We're playing a former Premier League club here in a in a league fixture so it's brilliant for the town of Stevenage."

The game will also be the first for new Addicks manager Michael Appleton, and with a sold-out away following, the confidence born of hope will be flooding through the south London side.

But Evans says they will meet a Stevenage squad equally confident and relishing the clash.

"Michael is a good manager," said Evans. "I know what he’ll take to Chariton. He’ll take some real ability and some real organisation. 

"They'll focus a lot more on keeping the ball, more than what they did in the earlier part of the season. 

"That club will come together. 

"But I just think it's a wonderful occasion for us, that we are entertaining Charlton Athletic in a league fixture on a level playing field and we look forward to the challenge that will bring. 

"They’ll have a big support, a sold-out away end, I’m sure there will be some trying to sneak in over the roof. They are like Leeds, they’d turn up to watch them play in a car park. 

"But our fans will turn up too, the ticket sales are good and we need them to continue to be good. 

"We need the Lamex bouncing on Saturday and when that’s happened in my time here, we've normally taken care of the fixture. 

"It was interesting that we went top of League One, which was unthinkable 18 months ago, and we're still disappointed. 

"But that's the standards the dressing room sets for itself. 

"Every point is hard earned in League One and every three is really difficult to get but three points in August and September is the same as three points in March and April." 

He doesn't expect many of the injured players to be back available, with perhaps Luther James-Wildin the only exception to that.

But the crisis is beginning to clear up and it won't be long before Stevenage are up to full strength.

"The squad is good, said Evans." I think Luther will train [on Thursday] and if he does then he'll be potentially including in the matchday squad. 

"I think in reality, we are two weeks away from three or four players joining the group.  

"We’ve also got two or three weeks with no midweek action so we could very suddenly be looking at Aaron Pressley back in the frame, Terence Vancooten back in the frame, Kane Smith back in the frame. 

"Harry Anderson has had a little injection to settle his groin down, I think he's about a week. 

"So from that point of view, it’ll look like we’ve made some good signings in two weeks. 

"We haven’t seen Vancooten yet and he is a Rolls Royce in League One. 

"Aaron was just starting to really perform, really starting to get sharp and starting to look at real presence. 

"Opposition managers were starting to say ‘what about the boy Pressley’ and then he gets a little niggle and he goes out. 

"These are big players for us and we're coming through this. We’re looking forward to when we can consistently say we've got most of our group available for selection. 

"That makes it harder for the group, but they've been terrific."