Shrewsbury Town welcome Championship club Blackpool to the Prostar Stadium tonight (7.30pm) – but four of their players will be heading to Morda instead.

The game was only added to Town’s schedule this week, but Simpson believes it has put the icing on his pre-season plans.

But – in a bid to make sure his full squad gets a game – he is sending Michael Symes, Steve Leslie, Guy Madjo and James Meredith to play with the youth team at Morda United instead.

One man who will get to face the Seasiders is Marc Tierney, the left-back having recovered from the tendon injury that forced him to miss the club’s Spanish training camp.

But centre-back Shane Cansdell-Sherriff is rested on doctor’s advice, having needed stitches on an eye wound during the 2-2 draw with West Brom.

“I’m delighted we’ve got the Blackpool game,” said Simpson, who also has winger Chris Humphrey fit again tonight.

“I’ve just had this thing at the back of my mind over the last week to 10 days that that we might be one game short of making it a really good preparation, so to slip the Blackpool game in is a real bonus for us.

“I’m looking to see that everyone gets 70 or 80 minutes again, so we will be mixing the side up much like we have in the last two games.

“We’ve got four lads playing at Morda instead so that they get some football under their belts. They’re still part of this football club but it’s important that they are getting games.”

Tonight’s clash represents a trip down memory lane for several Town players. Simpson made almost 100 appearances for the club during an 18-month spell at the start of the decade.

Defender Michael Jackson joined directly from the Seasiders over the summer, while record signing Grant Holt had a loan spell there at the end of last season.

Loan striker Richard Walker also went on loan to Bloomfield Road earlier in his career, scoring three goals in six starts in 2001.