Grimsby Town: David Artell has to make intriguing selection call v Bradford City - View | OneFootball

Tuesday night's EFL Cup clash against Bradford City is the perfect opportunity for Grimsby to test youngster Cameron Gardner against tough opposition,

Highlights

Following Grimsby Town's narrow opening day defeat at Fleetwood Town, attention quickly turns to the visit of Graham Alexander's Bradford City in the First Round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening. While the League is always the priority, cup progression and a prolonged run can breed confidence and bring in much-needed revenue, and David Artell has some interesting selection dilemmas facing him ahead of the Bantams clash.

In previous articles, we've mentioned how the Mariners squad is already a little stretched due to injuries to key personnel. Those concerns were added to at Highbury Stadium on Saturday, as Icelandic international wide player Jason Dadi Svanthórsson was withdrawn midway through the first-half after sustaining what looked like a troubling impact injury to his foot.

With this in mind, and with a heavy early season schedule, the Grimsby head coach may look to rotate where possible for the midweek cup fixture, using it to get minutes into the legs of some of his squad, while testing the readiness of others at this level.

One player that falls into the latter category is 18-year-old forward Cameron Gardner. The versatile attacker, highly regarded by many at Blundell Park, came off the bench in the weekend's defeat, and despite his relative youth, is beginning to look the part in the senior game.

Fleeting appearances as a substitute won't accelerate his development, however, and while it's clear Artell thinks a lot of the youngster, a start against a strong League Two side in the slightly less pressurised environment of the EFL Cup would benefit the player and allow the coaching staff to gauge exactly where Gardner stands in the pecking order at this time.

Barrington or Gardner likely to replace Svanthórsson

The knock picked up by the Icelander on debut looked a sore one, and will perhaps see him miss some upcoming matches, depending on the severity upon analysis.

It's a further blow to Artell, who is already without some important first-team players for the early part of the 2024/25 campaign. It does, however, open the door for someone else to fill in, and that is likely to see a direct choice between Gardner and Luca Barrington (pictured above) for that right-sided role.

19-year-old wide attacker Barrington recently joined the Mariners on a season-long loan from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, and he too made his Grimsby debut from the bench at Fleetwood, replacing Svanthórsson midway through the first-half.

The tricky attacker is good with both feet, and showed some nice touches on occasion, looking to beat his man whenever possible. Alhough, having only arrived at the club a few days prior to the season opener, the wide player, like many of his teammates, struggled to make an instant impact against a strong Fleetwood rearguard.

Having spent the entirety of pre-season under Artell's stewardship, Gardner is perhaps a little more well-versed in what the former Crewe Alexandra boss is seeking from his wide men than the new arrival, who may have to be eased into things a little more to give him the platform to flourish.

Gardner came back from the summer in great shape, looking strong, quick and able to cope with the physical demands of the game. Able to play anywhere across the forward line, the EFL Cup clash could be one to allow the Newcastle-born youngster to showcase his talents from the start.

Bradford a tough proposition for the Mariners

Bradford are always in and among the early League Two favourites. Well-supported and able to attract a high calibre of player by comparison to many, the Bantams often flatter to deceive once the season gets going.

They are, however, something of a 'bogey' side for the Mariners, who haven't beaten the West Yorkshire outfit home or away in nearly 26 years, with late equalisers denying Grimsby in both league fixtures last season.

City, now managed by Graham Alexander, started the season strongly, winning 2-1 at highly-fancied MK Dons on the opening day after finding themselves two goals to the good inside five minutes.

Whether Alexander chooses to rotate his squad for Tuesday's Carabao Cup clash remains to be seen, but he has strength in depth at his disposal, and a strong, experienced spine to his side, including the likes of Neill Byrne and Antoni Sarcevic - both signed from last season's champions Stockport County - along with the likes of Richard Smallwood, Alex Pattison and prolific striker Andy Cook, once a Mariner himself.

Whoever gets the nod to start on the right for Artell's men will have to do their fair share of defensive duties, especially if Bradford line-up in their preferred 3-5-1-1 system, with a packed midfield. Gardner looks more than capable of getting up and down the pitch, though, and winning duels whenever and wherever necessary to help out his colleagues. The EFL Cup fixture could be the youngsters' time to shine.