Though Wrexham lost their opening Championship match against Southampton, they showed plenty of positives in their display to encourage everyone connected to the club.

With this being the first match of the season at Cae Ras it is likely to be a better atmosphere than the majority of first round EFL Cup ties this midweek. This should help fire up the team a little more.

Also, the recruitment drive over the summer has expanded the Wrexham playing squad to the extent that Phil Parkinson’s usual policy of rotation for the opening round of the EFL Cup still should leave him with a strong team for this match.

Hull have a decent squad as well of course, having worked around their restrictions very smartly, but it is doubtful that they are viewing the EFL Cup as a priority here.

Despite operating in the division below their rivals, Chesterfield look the better of these sides, and in a rivalry as fierce and long-awaited as this, the home advantage could prove decisive.

The Spireites have opened their campaign with two emphatic wins, breezing past Cheltenham and Barrow. They play an attractive brand of possession-based football, which could trouble Mansfield, who may struggle to find a way into this match.

The visitors are still chasing their first point in League One, having opened the campaign with back-to-back defeats - the latest a 2-1 setback against newly-promoted Doncaster.

By means of an indirect comparison of strength, Chesterfield beat Doncaster both home and away last season, winning 8-2 on aggregate.

Southampton actually have quite a good heritage in the EFL Cup. They have only gone out in the opening round once in the last 17 years. In that time they have reached the quarter-finals (last season), semi-finals (2022/23) and the final in 2016/17.

Last season a rotated team went to Cardiff and won 5-3 in a very attacking display. This was under Russell Martin of course, and now Will Still is in charge, but the rotation is likely to be the same policy.

However, the Saints squad is so deep that the likely starting XI is going to be of top Championship quality too.

Northampton have really struggled to create chances with their first choice XI in League One so far this season, whilst the cup may open them up, it is difficult to see them outscoring Saints.

Kieran McKenna hasn't got the best record as Ipswich manager in the early rounds of the EFL Cup, but when you do your research into the matches that they have been knocked out from, they have been really unlucky.

In Ipswich's loss on penalties to AFC Wimbledon last season, AFC Wimbledon scored from their only two shots of the game, and managed to keep out Ipswich’s 20 shots. The xG in that game was 0.24:1.91 in favour of Ipswich.

This pattern of match is replicated in other narrow losses or draws in the early rounds of this competition. I expect McKenna's side to be too strong for League Two Bromley.