BLACKBURN Rovers boss Owen Coyle will freshen up his starting line-up for tonight’s EFL Cup second-round tie at home to Crewe Alexandra.

The clash with the League Two outfit is Rovers’ sixth of seven in the space of 21 days before the international break.

MORE TOP STORIES:

That means the likes of goalkeeper David Raya, winger Liam Feeney and striker Anthony Stokes will get the chance to impress after starting on the bench in Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with Burton Albion.

Teenage defender Scott Wharton will also keep his place in a side Coyle believes will have enough to book Rovers’ place in the third round.

“I think it’s fair to say there will be some changes,” said Coyle who will certainly be without Corry Evans, Elliott Ward, Elliott Bennet and Adam Henley – and possibly Darragh Lenihan too after he picked up a knock against Burton.

“We’ve had a lot of games in a short period of time and it’s important that one or two that need a game get the opportunity.

“It will be a tough game. Crewe are a good side. You only need to know their history, and how they bring players through and how they like to play, to know that. It’s a big game for them, a chance to take a huge scalp, so we’ve got to make sure we are ready for that.

“There’s three or four players who need some game time and they’ll get that. But it’s good players coming in. Feeney, Stokes, one or two like that, and we look forward to seeing them in action.”

The inclusion of Feeney means either Craig Conway or Ben Marshall are likely to start on the bench.

The wantaway Marshall produced his best performance of the season so far against Burton.

But it was Conway who was named man of the match after opening his account for the campaign before setting up Sam Gallagher’s first goal for the club.

And Coyle, whose injury-hit squad will include youngsters Jack Doyle and Connor Mahoney, said: “I had a chat with Ben before the game on Saturday and said, ‘control your own destiny’.

“You’ve got to play well and I think he did. I took him off at the end because I thought he’d ran his race, he’d given everything.

“Ben’s a talented player but the thing about good players is more often than not they do it every week. That’s what takes you to a different level.

“You do have good players in the Championship with a lot of good qualities, similar to Premier League players, but the Premier League players do it more consistently and that’s why they play at the level they do. With regards to Ben, it was a start, he’s got to kick on now.”

And on Conway, Coyle said: “He epitomises everything I like in a player – honest, hardworking, wears their heart on their sleeves, the fans identify with them, and they have quality.

“His was a wonderful goal but if you look back in the game he put in four or five wonderful crosses from open and set-plays. We need to furnish our wide players with the ball as, with Graham, Stokes and Gallagher in the team, we have goals.

“I want us to strengthen defensively as being solid gives you the platform to win games.”