Mama Sidibe and James Beattie are definaltely out injured whilst a lack of match fitness may hamper Amdy Faye, Nathaniel Wedderburn and Michael Tonge's attempts to play the full match. The majorit of the first team will be able to rest their weary limbs after the opening week of the season produced three tough encounters.
Most of the second string Xi will come in and TP has already stated nobody who started versus Birmingham last weekend will be taking part at the Matchroom Stadium. Expect Simonsen, Cort, Sonko, Cresswell, Soares and Tonge to start with such squad players as Shotton, Griffin, Davies, Pugh and Dickinson fighting for the full back positions and Pugh, Amdy Faye, Lund and Wedderburn hoping for a chance to impress in the midfield. Up front is an issue, Kitson, Cresswell and Fuller are the only fit strikers at the minute so expect record signing Kitson and magic man Fuller to be rested with Cresswell to be paired with any of Soares, Tonge, Lund or even in form 17-year-old academy star Louis Moult.
Orient have had an up and down season so far and there is talk that they may rest a few key men to concentrate on the league and secure their League One status for another year. Sean Thornton is the man which the team feeds off but his unavailability through injury is a major blow and it will be down to key men Jarvis, Demetriou and Chorley to put in performances needed to cause an upset...providing they aren't rested.
Orient have 12 home wins to the Potters 9 away victories in this fixture, with just the one draw. The last encounter though was nearly twenty years ago, a match won 1-0 by the hosts and the last time these sides met in the Carling Cup was in 1988/9 when Orient won the two legged tie on penalties, but the Potters did win the match at the Matchroom Stadium 2-1.
Prediction: The Potters take an early lead through Cresswell and a set piece is headed home by Leon Cort to double the advantage. Orient pull a goal back just after half time and the Potters, after a lot of nervy moments, sneak through with a 2-1 victory.