Lincoln City midfielder Fin Barbrook is hoping to grasp an opportunity in tomorrow night’s EFL Trophy clash against Manchester United under-21s.
The 20-year-old joined the Imps on a season-long loan at the beginning of the month from Championship outfit Ipswich Town. The move followed an impressive loan spell at Sutton United last season, whilst he was given his debut for the Tractor Boys in the Carabao Cup defeat against Bromley in August.
His arrival at the LNER Stadium was made to bolster Michael Skubala’s midfield options, who stated he would have ‘a brilliant role model in Conor McGrandles’ to help hone his craft in the centre of the park. However, the youngster is yet to feature in a matchday squad in League One for Lincoln.
Barbrook Set For Rare Opportunity
The East Midlands-based club are enjoying an excellent start to the season. They sit third in League One after 10 games, having lost just once in the league. As such, Skubala has largely stuck with the same group of players.
Tomorrow’s EFL Trophy tie at the LNER Stadium offers the head coach a chance to rest some of his key stars whilst giving his fringe players a chance to impress. This includes Barbrook, who did feature in their only other game in the competition earlier this month when they beat Notts County 3-0.
Speaking to official club media ahead of the clash, the midfielder said:
“I’m really looking forward to the game and hopefully playing my part in it. In the last game against Notts County we came away as 3-0 winners and we want to continue our good form at home.
“I need to use these games to show the coaches and the rest of the players what I can do. It is a really good chance to showcase what I can do.”
Writer’s View
Due to Lincoln’s excellent form, Barbrook is one of a number of players that have had to be patient for an opportunity. It’s a long season where first team regulars are likely to pick up injuries, so impressing in these EFL Trophy fixtures are paramount to stand any chance of getting an SOS call in the event of that scenario. The 20-year-old played the entire 90 minutes against Notts County and was widely praised for his performance. A similar showing against Manchester United under-21s will improve his chances of breaking into the matchday squad in the coming weeks.
