Field Mill hosts a 12:15pm GMT/7:15am EST/2:15am HST kickoff. ESPN 2 has the television coverage in the States. A fun trip to the oldest ground in the Football League gives us a chance to rotate the shit out of the squad. Here’s the team I’d like to see: Kepa Salmon/Mosquera/Heinze/Calafiori Norgaard/Lewis-Skelly Cardboard cutout of Ødegaard Dowman/Jesus/Inanimate Carbon Rod Not even joking. Up the Arsenal.
Thanks for keeping this train rolling. Especially with the more obscure competitions. In your OP, one thing that caught my eye was “ESPN2”. Do we think this is really on the linear TV channel, or really just on “WatchESPN“?
Hoping Jay-Jay Shevchenko, Fabrice Quagliarella, and all the other auto-genned academy players line up for this one. Seriously, nothing but doubled-barrelled 11 year olds please!
Only Sr 1st team players that should see the field for this one are Kepa/Setford, Mos, Cala, MLS, Norgaard, Jesus and maybe Kai & Marti. Outside of that it needs to be youth..... Salmon, Nichols, Sweet, Dudziak, Ibrahim, Dowman, Harriman-Annous. Maybe the new signing Mooney.
Play the kids, rest the big names, we have an insane bit of fixture congestion coming up against some strong teams. Max Dowman to score 1, Jesus to score 2 and No injuries please.
I had to look up where Mansfield is (up north between Nottingham and Sheffield) And their stadium is a classic little one, though I’m not sure you can call it a true 4-stander, because look how constrained they are by the old row houses on the near side. But that’s also what I love about old stadium locations and how they are truly embedded. I also heard that we should expect the pitch to be a bit dodgy, especially with the horrible weather England has had this winter.
No sign of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice or Martin Odegaard during today's session.Mikel Merino also missing. Absences can also mean rests. Lewis-Skelly trained despite suspension.Harriman-Annous, Salmon and Dowman involved.— Tom Canton (@TomCantonMedia) March 6, 2026
Merino? Fell like he was in a hospital bed just last week. U21s have a match this evening, could be telling.
Will be telling, no? Hard for someone who plays a U21 tonight to play in Mansfield at lunchtime tomorrow.
I really only know the three list Tom Canton’s “tweet”and suspect none of them will play tonight. I’m sure someone more familiar with the academe I’ll tell us if any more regular U21 starters are held out. My lineup guess: Kepa Salmon, White (if healthy), Mosquera, Califiori Norgaard, Eze, ?? (Maybe Dowman Maybe Odegaard if healthy to get minutes in his legs) Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli
Should play Josh Nichols, Brando Bailey Joseph, and Andre Harriman Annous somewhere. Though would be fun to see what Madueke can do against lower league fullbacks.