Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell has told the club’s official website that he hopes ‘people will understand’ if he gives some of his fringe contingent a chance to show what they can do in the remaining five fixtures of the season.

Crewe host Notts County at Gresty Road on Saturday hoping to banish the disappointment of last week’s 1-0 defeat at rivals Port Vale.

Artell has already hinted this week that he may make some changes to his teams as he looks ahead to next season and he stresses that every decision he makes ‘is only to benefit the Football Club’.

The Alex boss told crewealex.net: "We want to find out as much as we can in these next five games because you don't get these opportunities often, it's only in Checkatrade games to an extent.

"We won't disrespect the opposition, there are rules in place that say we can't make wholesale changes and we won't fall foul of that, but we have to make sure we develop our players and it is a great opportunity to do that in the first team.

"But if we lose the next five that's not good, however much you've learned about certain players or different formations.

"The first question I ask myself when I make a decision is: 'Is this for the benefit of the football club?'

"It's not about this player or that player, or me.

He added: "And I know I can look myself in the mirror, or any fan or board member in the face, and say I made that decision for what I felt was the benefit of the football club.”