Opinion: How Stevenage might line-up against Portsmouth

And why wouldn't he? There aren't many more fit players to choose from to be fair, is there?

But there is a good chunk of them who may have to play in unfamiliar positions.

It has got me thinking about who might be chosen. I have no inside track here either, there was nothing mentioned this morning, either during or after the interview, that gave me a clue as to who he will pick.

So I've had a punt and this is what I think could be the starting 11 against Pompey. I've gone with a 5-3-2 formation too.

Goalkeeper

A few iffy moments from Krisztian Hegyi will mean Taye Ashby-Hammond will be back, and possibly for the foreseeable future. Exeter on Tuesday may be the spanner in that theory but that is next week's issue.

Centre-halves

Like I say, I have gone for a back three with wing-backs. Boro went to a flat back four on Saturday before eventually reverting to a five with Dan Butler coming into the middle and Reece Hannam on the left.

Carl Piergianni and Finley Burns are the definites but with no Nathan Thompson (suspension) and probably no Dan Sweeney (injury), who goes in alongside them?

Butler would be one choice but I have a gut feeling that Louie Thompson might fill in for his brother. Went into defence briefly last Saturday after the red card.

Wing-backs

I'm still expecting Butler on the left with Hannam as an option off the bench but the right-back, well that's the big one. No Luther James-Wildin, no Kane Smith, no Nathan Thompson. 

If Evans is playing the game and using false information to lead Pompey off the scent, then maybe Harry Anderson comes back.

I don't get the impression that is the case so I would go rogue and plump for Jordan Roberts.

You need someone able to run all day, stick balls into the middle and win tackles. Roberts does that anyway. Does it matter if he is doing it on the right?

Midfield

Because of the stop-gap nature of the defensive positions, I would go three in midfield, just to shore up any holes.

For that reason, in would come Alex MacDonald and Ben Thompson alongside Jake-Forster Caskey. Ben would probably be the more forward minded of the trio.

Forwards

Aaron Pressley is enjoying a good run in the side and his ability to hold the ball up should see him maintain his place.

It is a toss-up as to who will go alongside him. Jamie Reid is probably just the favourite but I feel this time Elliott List will be given the nod. A Stevenage version of Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips.

Subs

I'll be honest, when I was talking to the boss this morning, I completely forgot that Nick Freeman and Josh March had missed out last week so I didn't ask about them.

I've heard nothing to suggest there's a problem so I think they might be on the bench.

Whether they are fit to come on for anything longer than 20 minutes say, who knows?

I the U18s play at 11am at MK Dons on Saturday so it is unlikely they will be used to fill the bench.

Don't rule it out completely though.

Stevenage (5-3-2)

Ashby-Hammond; Roberts, Burns, L.Thompson, Piergianni, Butler; MacDonald, Forster-Caskey, B.Thompson; Pressley, List.

Subs: Hegyi, Reid, Freeman, March, Alexandrou, Hicks, Skyers.