Reds chief turns to youngsters

With their play-off bid in League One now over, Johnson is ready to experiment and look to the future, with George Maris and Paul Digby both available for this weekend’s home clash with Peterborough United.

Several others who have been used sparingly in his reign so far will also be given a chance.

Meanwhile, Dale Jennings is likely to miss the rest of the season with a heavy ankle knock. George Waring is still sidelined with injury, along with Jean-Yves M’Voto and Ross Turnbull.

Johnson said: “I always say I pick the team like my little girl’s life depends on it. But the next three, I won’t, because there are a couple of people who have deserved a chance who haven’t quite had it.

“There’s also a couple of young players we want to assess and see whether or not we can cope.

On his squad for the weekend, he said: “Jennings has rolled his ankle in training and it looks really swollen and that will probably rule him out for the rest of the season.

“But Digby is back and he has looked quite good and Maris is back and he has looked quite good as well.”