Morecambe are back in cup action on Tuesday night, as they travel to Stadium MK to face Milton Keynes Dons in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Derek Adams side have overcome two Sky Bet Championship teams so far in the Carabao Cup to reach the third round. They beat Stoke City on penalties after a goalless draw at the Mazuma Stadium in the first round of the competition and beat Rotherham United by a goal to nil away from home in the second round. A victory on Tuesday would take Morecambe into the last 16 of the competition - the furthest they would have ever progressed.
MK come into the game following a 6-0 win over National League South side Taunton Town in the FA Cup on Saturday. The Buckinghamshire outfit beat League Two Sutton United 1-0 in the first round of the Carabao Cup and won 2-0 away at Watford in the second round to set up Tuesday’s tie against the Shrimps.
The Opposition
Milton Keynes Dons are currently sat 21st in League One with four wins, two draws and ten defeats after 16 league games.
MK have had some moments to remember in the Carabao Cup in their short history. Manchester United visited Stadium MK in the second round of the competition in 2014 and were beaten 4-0 by the hosts. The Dons also won the EFL Trophy in 2008 when they beat Grimsby Town 2-0 in front of 56,000 at Wembley.
Head Coach Liam Manning is in his second job of his managerial career. After a playing career in non-league, Manning took charge of Belgian side Lommel SK and guided them to a third place finish in 2021. The 37-year-old then joined MK Dons in 2021 and his side finished in the League One play-off places after missing out on automatic promotion by a point last season.
Key Players
Striker Will Grigg is MK’s top scorer this season with six goals in 16 appearances. Grigg is currently in his third spell at Stadium MK after spending time with the club during the 2014-15 season and the second half of the 2020-21 season. The Northern Irishman also scored 53 goals in 133 appearances for Wigan between 2015 and 2019. The 31-year-old has also featured 13 times for his country at senior level.
Midfielder Conor Grant has also been productive in front of goal for MK this season. Grant has four goals and two assists in 13 games this season and produced an excellent performance off the bench against Taunton at the weekend as he scored twice and got an assist. The Irishman is currently in his second season playing in the EFL after spending last season with Rochdale.
Midfielder Bradley Johnson is one of the most experienced members of Liam Manning’s squad. Johnson spent three years at Northampton at the start of his career before making over 100 appearances for Leeds, Norwich and Derby. Johnson has made over 600 career appearances and joined MK upon the expiry of his contract at Blackburn last season.
Darren Smith’s Pre-Match Thoughts
MK Dons coach Darren Smith, part of Liam Manning’s backroom staff, told the MK YouTube channel says his side will need to be at their best against the Shrimps.
“We’ve got a real tough game against Morecambe. Knowing Derek and coaching against his sides, they won’t be any pushover. They certainly won’t come here and rollover. They’ll come here and have a real hard go and we’ve got to be at our best to get a win.”
Team News
Derek Adams should have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Tuesday night.
The Shrimps will be without Max Melbourne and Jake Taylor, both of whom are getting closer to full fitness. Ash Hunter and Courtney Duffus are still out long-term.
Admission
Pre-booked away tickets for tonight can be collected from the away ticket booth, located near gate three from 5:15pm. Away supporters can also purchase tickets there. Please note, Stadium MK accept card payments only.
Listen Live
Due to EFL broadcast regulations, Tuesday's match won't be available to watch on iFollow. However, match passes to listen to all of the action live will be available to purchase via iFollow Shrimps.
Lead commentator Dave Salmon will be joined by Matt Smith from the Morecambe media team, guiding you through all of thw action.
For full details on iFollow Shrimps and to urchase your audio pass, click here.