Boss pleased that some pushed their claim with promising performances against Wolves in Papa John's Trophy.

David Artell says that there were plenty of positives to take from Tuesday’s comfortable 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Papa John’s Trophy and that some good performances have given him food for thought as he strives to discover that winning formula in the league.

Crewe head to Bolton Wanderers for a Friday night fixture and the Alex boss says that the competition for places is still there with almost the entire senior squad given a chance at that level this season.

Artell named four young debutants in the win over Wolves with midfielder Joe Robbins scoring the third goal.

“Every game you watch as a manager is an opportunity for those players to stake their claim. Tuesday was no different and you take what you see from it, ‘said Artell.

“Every game and every training session is an opportunity. We had some good performances on Tuesday night and some not so good, so it works both ways.

“With the ones that it wasn’t so good, maybe it was the right game for them to try and turn their form around. It gave me food for thought and you always learn things about your players.”