He has to balance the need to bust a gut to reach a Wembley final with a desire to keep his better players fresh for a League One promotion push that has stalled badly this month.
If anything a defeat to Blackpool at home on Saturday makes tomorrow’s game more important. This is a Posh team in need of any sort of win to breathe some confidence into the squad, and reaching a Wembley final would be a huge boost for everyone.
It’s a situation made more complicated by a trip to local rivals Cambridge United next Saturday when Posh will be keen to end a miserable run of results at the Abbey Stadium.
The PT did consider resting the entire first-choice XI, but that would be asking for trouble having raised hope among the fanbase that a first Wembley trip for 10 years was in the offing.
Instead we made three changes to the team that lost to Blackpool at the weekend, but retained the 4-2-1-3 formation.
1. JED STEER
Given the recent fuss around Nicholas Bilokapic, the last thing the Posh players, management and fans wanted to see at the weekend was a bad goalkeeping error which turned a game on its head. Jed Steer managed it though, but Posh have to make a choice of number one and stick with it now so Steer has to stay. We'd have Fynn Talley on the bench and we'd send him on if a penalty shoot out appears likely. Photo: Joe Dent
2. JADEL KATONGO
We'd be tempted to throw new signing Vontae Daley-Campbell into the side if his match fitness is up to scratch. He's apparently an attacking right-back similar in style to Peter Kioso and boy has he been missed. It would be a risk though so we're sticking with Katongo in the hope he's a fast learner and so improve on his Saturday display. Katongo played very well in central midfield at Blackpool earlier in the season so Bloomfield Road has happy memories for him. Photo: David Lowndes
3. JOSH KNIGHT
The centre-back's high standards have dropped in recent weeks like so many of his teammates, but he's a competitor and Posh will need plenty of those tomorrow. The back-up defenders don't look up to this task. Photo: Joe Dent
4. RONNIE EDWARDS
Even when not at his best Posh would be a far weaker side without Edwards as the left centre-back. Photo: Joe Dent