After Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Accrington Stanley at the SMH Group Stadium, the Spireites have a quick turnaround as they take on Liverpool U21 under the floodlights in North Derbyshire in their final Northern Group H fixture in the Vertu Trophy.
Chesterfield are currently third with three points and Liverpool U21 are bottom of the group having lost both of their games. Crewe Alexandra are at top the group with six points, and face Burton Albion who have three points and sit just ahead of Chesterfield on goal difference.
With both fixtures taking place at the same time, Paul Cook’s side will be playing for the win as they look to progress to the knockout stages.
In the spotlight
Having spent several years with Liverpool at the start of his career, including an FA Cup final appearance, Jay Spearing returned to Anfield in 2022 to take up a player/coach role within the academy.
He has amassed over 450 career appearances and adds a wealth of experience to an otherwise youthful Liverpool side, and will pose a different threat in midfield battles.
Gary Roberts’ pre-match thoughts
“We’re going to fully attack the game, we’ll be using a full first-team squad within the game.
“We want to go and give a better account of ourselves than we did at the weekend, so we’ll be looking to come into the game strong and on the front-foot.”
