SWINDON Town head coach Scott Lindsey has confirmed he will be without a handful of first-team squad members for the first-round League Cup clash with Walsall on Tuesday night.

Harry McKirdy will miss Swindon’s trip to the Poundland Bescot Stadium through suspension after picking up a red card against Salford City on Saturday, while Ciaran Brennan, Ellis Iandolo, and Reece Devine have also been ruled out through injury.

Lindsey is limited in terms of his defensive options; therefore Tom Clayton is likely to receive his first start since signing from Liverpool in the summer.

The Town boss listed those who will miss Tuesday night’s contest and went on to explain more about Brennan’s reason for missing Walsall.

Lindsey said: “Injury-wise, we have Ellis Iandolo out still, and that’s ongoing.

“We have Reece Devine out too. He had a scan since we last spoke, and there’s a problem in his hamstring so he’s going to be out for a while.

“And then Ciaran Brennan is out with a concussion-related injury, we have to be careful with that one.

“It happened at Harrogate where he got a whack. He wasn’t feeling great after the game. We have a protocol that we have to go through once he is symptom-free.

“We went through that step-by-step protocol, and we were all happy for him to play against Salford because his symptoms weren’t there. He didn’t feel great again after, so we’re back to square one with that.”

While there continues to be a touch of uncertainty about who will feature in defence for Swindon, there is no doubt which goalkeeper has been picked.

Lindsey confirmed Lewis Ward will get the nod for his first start since the League Two play-off semi-final second leg in May.

Discussing the goalkeeper selection headache he has to deal with currently, Lindsey said: “There’s no ‘one’ and ‘two’. I don’t want that sort of set-up.

“I think Walsall will be an opportunity for Lewis Ward to play in that game, so yeah, I will be going with Wardy.

“But as I’ve said, it’s not a case of having a first and second-choice goalkeeper. It’s a case of having two number ones who are fighting for the same jersey.

“There will be bumps in the road, there will be ups and downs, and there will be opportunities for Wardy to come in and play. But once they’re in, try and stay in.

“I want competition for places – it’s no different to a full-back or a striker.”