Kevin Wilkin on why he will take players' feelings into consideration for AFC Telford United selection at Merthyr Town

After an enforced three-week break in early January due to the weather, the Bucks are currently in the midst of a four-week run where they are playing Saturday and Tuesday.

Telford rose to 10th in the National League North table with victory over King's Lynn Town on Saturday, five points outside the play-off places, but face a tough trip to a third-placed Merthyr Town side who are 18 points clear of Wilkin's men.

Hinting he could make changes in the Welsh Valleys this evening, the Bucks boss said: “We had maybe one or two players looking a little bit jaded, possibly. I need to understand that, but I speak to all the lads - 'How are you feeling? Do you feel right for it?' - and from every lad, it was positive.

"Remi (Walker) wouldn't have had one of his most impressive games for us, but what I love about it is his tenacity to keep going, keep doing the right things, scrapping and battling hard for the team and for himself.

"I thought he was brilliant on that front, and sometimes as a young man, you have to learn from tough games like that, when you don't quite have it all your own way, and he'll  be stronger for the experience, definitely.”

Merthyr, like Telford, were promoted last season and defeated Bucks 4-2 at the Seah Stadium in early November, on a night when visiting striker Ricardo Rees bagged all four Merthyr goals.

Despite Rees’ January move to National League high-flyers Forest Green Rovers, the Martyrs have continued strongly - though they lost 1-0 to an injury-time goal at Southport on Saturday.

While a long journey - more in time than distance - awaits Telford, Wilkin was keen not to offer that as an excuse for any drop-off from his side.

“Every team will face challenges and battles through the course of it (the season), and that is one for us," he said. "If you want to have a cup run, sometimes you have to go to places like Hornchurch and long nights and difficult journeys and all the rest of it - that's what you've got to be able to get through.

"I’ve said for a good wee while that being robust and being able to take these situations and problems that throw themselves up, they're nice problems, because we're still in a cup competition and we're mid-table now in the league.

"You want to do as well as you can possibly do, and if that comes with a challenge, travelling or whatever it might be, then so be it.”