Peterborough United manager is back where it all started and he expects a performance rather than excuses in front of the Sky TV cameras

Darren Ferguson ahead of his first match as Posh manager at Lincoln City in January, 2007.

Sky TV are broadcasting the match between the in-form top dogs and a side that hasn’t played competitively since December 15.

But Ferguson is confident his refreshed side will put on a decent show as they take the first steps in what will be a relentless four months for all League One sides.

“We’ve had to be ready for anything this season,” Ferguson, whose first game as a Football League manager was a 1-0 defeat with Posh at Lincoln in January, 2007, stated. “And now we have to be ready to give everything in a relentless four months of playing and training.

Ricky-Jade Jones should be back for Posh at Lincoln.

“We probably won’t know how 25 days without a game will affect us until we start playing against a very good side, but we can’t give ourselves any excuses for not playing well.

“The Rochdale game was a great example of how I want us to play. Our intensity was too much for them. We went away from that in our next game at MK Dons which was disappointing, so tomorrow it’s important we keep the ball much, much better or we will be punished by a side who are very good going forward and very good on the counter attack.

“If we play three at the back and don’t pass the ball well enough it quickly becomes five at the back and we don’t want to play like that.

“We’ve been back at work for two weeks. We spent the first week building our fitness back up and then this week has been a normal week as we’ve used it purely to get ready for tomorrow’s game.

“It pleased me that the lads fitness was good after 10 days of self isolating and it pleased me we had no positive Covid tests after everyone was with their families over Christmas.

“We now need to hit the ground running over against one of the few teams who have managed to keep playing regularly. They are top so they are obviously good, but we will go there trying to win just like we do in every game.”

Left-sided defender Dan Butler and teenage forward Ricky-Jade Jones are expected to return to the Posh squad after tomorrow, but Joe Ward is likely to make his comeback in the EFL Trophy tie at home to Portsmouth on Tuesday (January 12). Experienced defender Nathan Thompson is back after serving a one-match suspension.

Possible Posh line-up

(3-4-2-1).

Pym

Kent, Thompson, Beevers.

Kanu, Brown, Taylor, Butler

Szmodics, Dembele.

Clarke-Harris.