Darren Ferguson on keeping standards high, freshening up a tired team and the quality of Arsenal Under 21s

Posh scrambled past Grant McCann’s team 2-1 to earn a decent reward of a third round tie at home to Championship high fliers Leeds United next month.

Many of the players who started the Doncaster game and a tough League One draw at Stevenage four days earlier will be rested from Tuesday’s Bristol Street Motors Trophy tie against Arsenal Under 21s at the Weston Homes Stadium (7.30pm).

“It was a bit of a tired display on Saturday,” Ferguson admitted. “Not just from one or two players, but from the team as a whole.

"We were much slower than normal in finding space and getting into the right positions to receive the ball, but it was a little reminder to us to keep our standards high and to keep improving as Doncaster made things very difficult for us.

"Coming back against Stevenage probably took a lot out of us. It was a big physical effort from us.

"It was far from a bad performance on Saturday. There was some very good stuff and we when we did get past their press we created chances. We had four one-on-ones in the first half and seven great chances overall. If we’d taken just a couple the scoreline would have looked a lot different.

"We’ve had a look at that this morning and we will be freshening the side up for the Arsenal game. We have a busy schedule coming up and there’s no question some players need a game.”

Midfielder Jeando Fuchs and striker Malik Mothersille can expect to start against an Arsenal side who have played a couple of first-team regulars in EFL Trophy ties this season. That might not happen tomorrow as Arsenal have a Premier League match at Luton Town.

Ferguson will also have half an eye on a big League One clash at home to Oxford United on Saturday.

"Jeando cruised through the Under 21 game at Coventry last week,” Ferguson added. “It was a very good performance from him and the team. He will be involved tomorrow as will Malik and it was good to see him score at Coventry. A couple of others from game will also be in the squad.

"I expect whatever team I put out to put on a performance in a tough game against a typical Premier League Under 21 side. Arsenal will be expansive, they will have pace and they will be technically very good with good rotations.

"But it’s all about us and how we perform. We want to keep our momentum and good home form going into a tough league game on Saturday.

"We will have to play well to get through, but we want a good run in this competition. It doesn’t really capture the imagination until the semi-final stage, but Wembley is at the end of it. There were 60-odd thousand at the final last year.”