Both Salford City and Rotherham United will play their first competitive game in almost six months when they clash in the first round of the EFL Cup, though both will have their focus firmly on league competition this season with differing aims.

For Rotherham, this season brings a return to the Championship after last season’s premature end saw them achieve automatic promotion. They will want to make a better fist of it than two years ago, when they came straight back down at the first time of asking, just as they went down in 2016-17 as well, and with a lean squad set to be pushed to the limit over this unprecedentedly short campaign they may well find a cup run more of a hindrance than a help.

Likewise, Salford, who will want all guns blazing towards the League Two promotion charge that never materialised last season, their first in the EFL. They have made an impressive array of signings, including Tom Clarke, Jordan Turnbull and Ian Henderson, in a bid to challenge and Graham Alexander undoubtedly has one of the best-equipped teams in the fourth tier.

Salford, perhaps, will fancy a very first-ever victory in the competition, but it will be little more than a high-stakes friendly and a chance to get important seasons up and running positively.

Team news 

Salford could hand out a number of debuts, including a second debut to Ashley Hunter who has signed permanently from Fleetwood Town after impressing on loan last season. Striker James Wilson has only featured lightly in pre-season.

Paul Warne could hand debuts to up to five of his new signings, but Mickel Miller has a suspension from his last game for Hamilton. Rotherham will also be without Ben Wiles, Trevor Clarke, Matt Olosunde and Curtis Tilt.

Predicted line-ups 

Salford: Hladky; Touray, Clarke, Turnbull, Threlkeld; Hunter, Lowe, Towell, Gardner; Wilson, Henderson.

Rotherham: Blackman; Mattock, Ihiekwe, MacDonald, Harding; Sadlier, Crooks, Lindsay, Ogbene; Smith, Ladapo.

What the managers have said 

Millers boss Warne isn’t a fan of starting the season with the EFL Cup, telling the Yorkshire Post: “I would have much preferred to have played (in the league) on the Saturday and then had the Cup game on the Tuesday, to be honest.

“From a managerial point of view, I could have gone full strength in the league game and then if the performance was not up to it, I could have put them back out again in the League Cup.

“Whatever 11 I pick, they are all capable of playing. It is not like I am carrying loads of young, inexperienced players. They can all play in the team. But I would have preferred if the league was the first game.”

Looking ahead to Salford’s season, new midfielder Jason Lowe said: “Promotion is the ultimate goal - there's no two ways about it.

“We’ve got a great group of lads – lots of different personalities and abilities in terms of what we can bring to the team.”

Head-to-head 

Saturday's first-round clash will be the first time that Salford and Rotherham have ever met in any competition.

How to watch 

The match can be streamed live on the clubs’ respective streaming services, the Salford City website and iFollow Millers, with kick-off at 3pm BST.

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