MATCH THREAD [+POST p29]: Cambridge Utd V Charlton Athletic: Lge Cup Rd2 : Tue 26th Aug 2025 KO19:30
And what awaits us tonight is yet another cup match, this time it's a trip up to The Cledara Abbey Stadium where Cambridge United await for tonight's second round League Cup tie, or to give it the official title The Carabao Cup...
This is the second time in exactly one month we have made this trip, the last time being a 1-1 draw in a pre-season friendly, where Miles Leaburn gave us the lead, before a late equaliser, so we need to go one better tonight to progress into round three, this will hopefully be the case.
Thing is, do we stick to the first 11, or switch things up a bit to give some fringe players more minutes on the pitch, I think it will be a mixture of both option, I would really love to see a front two pairing of Tanto and Kelman, TC and Leaburn certainly need a night off...
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend, Nathan Jones confirmed that Will Mannion and Reece Burke have both returned to training at Sparrows Lane, so a bit of a positive there.
HEAD-TO-HEAD...We've locked horns on 27 previous occasions winning 11, the U's seven and the remaining nine meetings resulting in draws, our last trip to the Cledara Abbey Stadium in a competitive outing saw Tyreece Campbell net the all-important winner early on back in April.
We will be wearing our 2025/26 red home kit this evening, so here we go...
Team..
Academy graduate Ollie Hobden will make his debut in tonight’s Carabao Cup second round tie against Cambridge United.
Summer signings Joe Rankin-Costello, Harvey Knibbs, Tanto Olaofe and Charlie Kelman also start as Nathan Jones makes 11 changes from the team that played Leicester City at The Valley at the weekend.
Josh Laqeretabua, Zach Mitchell and captain Macaulay Gillesphey make up a back three in front of Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
Hobden and Ibrahim Fullah will operate as wing backs with Karoy Anderson joining Rankin-Costello and Knibbs in midfield behind a front two of Olaofe and Kelman.
Will Mannion is joined on the bench by academy players Keenan Gough, Kai Enslin, Ty Ewens-Findlay, Alan Mwamba, Henry Rylah, Micah Mbick, Reuben Reid and Paris Lock.
Charlton: Maynard-Brewer; Laqeretabua, Z.Mitchell, Gillesphey (c); Hobden, Knibbs, Rankin-Costello, Anderson, Fullah; Olaofe, Kelman
Subs: Mannion, Gough, Enslin, Ewens-Findlay, Mwamba, Rylah, Mbick, Reid, Lock
Comments
-
Comfortable win tonight please.
Dispel the negativity, embrace the future!4 -
We're in RED away tonight...it's a sign I tell ya...round three here we come...11
-
Hoping to see Tanto, Kelman and Knibbs play together…… don’t know why really just think it would be fun to watch.5
-
I'd have thought that was highly likely. All 3 need minutes, ditto Costello and Anderson. It's a very different situation from previous seasons where we have clear first choice players, and clear backup ones.WrightCharlie said:Hoping to see Tanto, Kelman and Knibbs play together…… don’t know why really just think it would be fun to watch.0 -
0-3 Kelman hat-tick ⚽️⚽️⚽️ Millwall away in R3 COYR , remember where you heard it first ( admittedly I’m 7 pints in )8
-
6 -
That is a YOUNG squad11
-
If anyone picked that as the squad could you please let me know the lottery numbers.19
-
Blimey. Young bench. The starting 11 had better be at the races & not needing a goal with 15 to go.fenaddick said:2 -
Ollie Hobden I thought was an RB? So got a bit of figuring out on who's playing where!0
- Sponsored links:
-
Loving that team gives us a chance to see what the players that haven’t featured much yet I hope Tanto goes out with a point to prove0
-
Looking forward to seeing Knibbs prove himself at RWB..3
-
Interesting that Hobden starts. Don't know much about him, guessing he's a CB and Josh Laq is RWB or vice versa?0
-
Someone remind me, who is Hobden?0
-
Jones's signalling to the owners we need more first teamers ? 🤭4
-
Who da f**k is Ewens-Findlay?0
-
Fullah/Hobden/JRC as RWB surely instead of Knibbs0
-
Burke being saved for the big games
1 -
Starting 11 more or less what I predicted. Very young bench though.
Is that a debut for Hobdon?0 - Sponsored links:
-
No Kelman is surprising too11
-
OS has it with Hobden RWB, JRC CM , Knibbs as the 10 , Fullah LWB.4
-
I'll be slightly impressed if we do make the 3rd Round... Feels like a team setup for an EFL Trophy game, not complaining as with that competition no longer an option, its difficult for our youngsters to get Senior minutes. However if its a match like the Stevenage one, then I expect we'll see a full switch in who controls proceedings from around the 60th minute.
2 -
fenaddick said:No Kelman is surprising too
He's number 23.0 -
Looks like he's starting?fenaddick said:No Kelman is surprising too0 -
Oh mate!!fenaddick said:No Kelman is surprising too4 -
I presume he's not ready yet?_uptheaddicks said:Burke being saved for the big games0 -
I know he’s not been involved much when he’s on the pitch, but that’s harsh.fenaddick said:No Kelman is surprising too11 -
I don’t get it?fenaddick said:No Kelman is surprising too1 -
I'd have said Rankin-Costello at right wing-back and then Anderson and Hobson behind Knibbs in a midfield 3, but the way that's written it does look more like Knibbs at wing-back, Rankin-Costello in for Coventry in the 3.
But then I also don't know who Hobson is so that may change things depending on whether he's a right back or a midfielder!
Time will tell I guess!0
