MARK Cooper insists he has no urge to chop and change his starting XI too dramatically for tonight’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash with Newport County.

Competition rules mean the Town boss has to field six of the players that either started against Sheffield United last weekend or will start at Barnsley this Saturday. With Massimo Luongo doubtful, Raphael Branco nursing a sore groin and Yaser Kasim banned as well, potentially three changes will be enforced.

Tyrell Belford will also be given a game, so that leaves just one spot open to provide a break for one of Town’s regular first XI. That could well come up front where Andy Williams has continued to impress from the bench.

“You’re a little bit strung in how many players you can change,” said Cooper.

“I don’t like making loads of changes because if you put a whole new team together and it doesn’t work, the ones you put in say, or they can say, ‘you put me in a team that wasn’t as strong as it could have been and you didn’t give me the best chance’.

“It does give us an opportunity to mix it up. Andrew Williams keeps on knocking on the door as he keeps coming on and scoring; Michael Smith is scoring; Jon Obika’s scoring.

“I said from the start I’ll try and pick the ones I think are right for the individual games. We’re looking at Newport and Barnsley coming into view and we’re looking at which partnership can hurt those teams the most.

“I don’t like playing games with players. I think it’s important that they feel as though they are part of it and at any point you could put them back in the team. That’s what we’re trying to do, create an environment where everyone knows at some point they’re going to be needed and they’re going to play.”

Whatever team the Robins’ chief names for tonight’s game he insists complacency will not be an issue for them.

“I think our lads want to play,” Cooper added.

“If they were going to play in the park tomorrow, they’d want to play and get the ball down and entertain people. I don’t think it's the case of trying to get them up for a lower league team, I don’t think that will be a problem.

“You keep banging on about being professional and even if you’re 10-0 up you keep doing the right things. I’m convinced that comes with experience, they learn, on the job, while they’re playing.”