Chorley striker Harry Cardwell faces FA Cup fitness fight

Harry Cardwell slots home against Wigan Athletic in the previous round

The targetman limped off in the 2-2 draw against Hereford last weekend with a calf strain and faces a race to be fit.

Other than him, the Magpies have no injury worries and have added to their squad with the acquisitions of Adam Henley and Willem Tomlinson, from Bradford City and Mansfield Town respectively.

Both have played for Blackburn in the past with Henley making two appearances for Wales. They are expected to be available this weekend as they are not cup tied.

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson is expected to field a strong XI especially as he made changes for the first round against Oxford United and they were nearly caught out before eventually prevailing 2-1.

In Siriki Dembele and Jonson Clarke-Harris, United have two strikers who have already notched 13 goals between them this season and Vermiglio is well aware of the threats they pose.

“You just don’t know when you come up against these teams whether they are going to make changes,” he said.

“They did in the last round and they almost came unstuck, but that’s not to say they won’t make changes against us. You never know whether they will change their system. They might think, ‘These are non-league, we should be battering them so let’s get after them’.

“The lad up front Demebele is a real handful. If he’s not playing that’s a bonus for us. He’s certainly their dangerman and Reece Brown in midfield is a very good player.”

As far as his team is concerned, the excitement has been building all week.

“We are all waiting in anticipation to see how the boys perform and how well they will do this weekend,” he said.

“The’ve trained hard – there is a big buzz around the place. For some of our lads who have come from league clubs, this feeling they have had with us is new to them.

“They’ve been used to going into the first round or second round and expecting to win. They are now with a smaller club and what they experienced in the changing rooms after beating Wigan and all the publicity which came was new to them and it’s helped in the build-up to this game.”