David Artell says he will be not be making wholesale changes to his Crewe Alexandra side for tonight’s Carabao Cup tie at Middlesbrough. The Alex boss says that he won’t be looking to weaken his team because we facing ‘a very good Championship side’ and could end up with a hiding at the hands of Jonathan Woodgate’s side.

Artell says it will remain one game at a time and the weekend game against Walsall will not enter his thinking until the journey back from the Riverside Stadium this evening.

Ahead of our League Cup tie on Teeside, the Alex boss said: “It would be foolish of anyone to think we can go to a Championship team, field a weakened team, and expect to get anything.

"Middlesbrough are two leagues higher than us. It's a bit like saying someone from the Conference North could come to us with a second string and expect to get a result. I don't think so!

"That's the thought process. We have to make sure we go there, give a good account of ourselves and try to win the game.

"Walsall isn't out of sight and mind, but there is a game before it. We can't pick a side thinking about Walsall and then go to Middlesbrough and lose 6-0, it does more damage than anything you could gain by not playing certain players or a certain way, or whatever it may be.

The boss added: "It's the third game of the season, nobody should be tired. We'll go and have a go.”