Lincoln City manager Michael Appleton has revealed he intends to offer a chance to some of the Imps' fringe players in their meeting with League One rivals Rotherham United in the Leasing.com Trophy.

Appleton's side will be looking to secure a first win in five matches in all competitions, having drawn their last two matches including the 1-1 draw against League One leaders Ipswich Town in the FA Cup on Saturday - and the Imps are in need of overturning a four goal deficit to make it through to the next round of the Leasing.com Trophy.

The game against Rotherham could well give Appleton the chance to hand minutes to some players who have not been featuring heavily over the last few weeks, and with the Imps struggling to find a run of winning form of late there could be a chance to earn regular game time for some players.

Speaking to Lincoln City's official website ahead of the game against Rotherham on Tuesday, Appleton suggested that the game is a real chance for some of the fringe players who are looking to impress, saying: "First and foremost it’s a great opportunity for some of the players to get some minutes under their belt.

"We have some players on the bench who are chomping at the bit.

"We don’t have that many and some players had a tough day at Ipswich who may have to go again on Tuesday, which isn’t ideal for everybody but it’s a good opportunity for some."

The Verdict

Given Lincoln's recent form it is unlikely that they will be able to pull off the sort of win needed to take them through to the next round of the EFL Trophy, but it is a chance for the Imps to get a victory and start to build some positive momentum over the next few weeks.

As Appleton suggests, some of Lincoln's fringe players are raring to go and will be hoping they get given the chance to stake a claim for a more regular role in the side  -and if the Imps can perform well against Rotherham then it will give a boost to the moral around Sincil Bank.

Appleton is need of starting to find a formula to win matches more consistently at Lincoln, and he will be hoping a few of his squad players can provide him with something to think about in terms of his starting line-up over the next few weeks and months.