With a relentless league schedule Lee Bowyer sees the first-round FA Cup replay against Mansfield as a perfect opportunity to field players in need of minutes.

Bowyer is likely to field a similar side to the one that drew 1-1 at Field Mill a week ago, which will include Billy Clarke who made his return in that fixture after 11-months out injured.

“I’m going to start him again,” said Bowyer.

“We’re trying to get as many minutes into him now, now he’s ready to be playing games. Trying to get him up to speed because he could be valuable later on in the season for us.”

Clarke came on for the final 15 minutes of the FA Cup tie and also played 77-minutes three days later in the 1-0 Checkatrade Trophy defeat to Swansea u23s.

READ: Billy Clarke grateful of extra fixtures

Bowyer continued: “It’s another game to put people out there and put some important minutes in them.

“I’m looking forward to it, it was a good test to those who played last Sunday and I thought they did well, but being at home I expect us to win the game.”

Toby Stevenson scored the goal to send the tie to a replay, the fourth in two starts for the 18-year-old left back, and Bowyer said the tie is a good shop window for the youngster to boost his chances of breaking in to the first XI.

“There might be times where we might need the youngsters, so it is good experience for them to play men’s football. It’s good, the experience is important. If we can get minutes into them and see where they are then we can get an idea where they are in their own careers at the moment.”

READ: Charlton youngster on his journey to the first team

The league is quite clearly Bowyer’s paramount goal this season however: “We have to be very careful because we’ve a big (league) game Saturday. We’ve not played last weekend and we managed to stay in sixth position (in the league), so we have to be careful.”