Joey Barton makes EIGHT Bristol Rovers changes v Crystal Palace as team confirmed

Joey Barton has rung the changes to his Bristol Rovers team to face Crystal Palace under the floodlights at the Memorial Stadium this evening.

The 40-year-old has made eight in total as he freshens up his side for tonight’s EFL Trophy match with the priority for this season being to preserve their League One status.

The only players to start from the 2-2 draw with Exeter City last Saturday is John Marquis, who scored just his second goal, as well as defender Luca Hoole and summer signing Luke McCormick.

On-loan Fulham winger Sylvester Jasper, who set up Ryan Loft for the equalising goal at St James Park, is given his first start after five consecutive substitute appearances.

Zain Westbrooke, who has not played since the opening day defeat to Forest Green Rovers, is given an opportunity to get back into Barton’s plans having failed to find a new club in August.

Club captain Paul Coutts is brought in to start and he dons the captain’s armband this evening in a side that also includes 38-year-old player-coach Glenn Whelan.

Anssi Jaakkola has overcome a slight illness as per reported by BristolLive to start this evening with first-choice goalkeper James Belshaw available from the bench.

Should Barton persist with his three-man central defence it could be a back-line of Hoole, Kilgour and Glenn Whelan, with Jasper and Clarke acting as wing-backs which would place Coutts, McCormick and Westbrooke in the centre of the park. Harvey Saunders and Marquis would the lead the line in a 3-5-2 formation.

Alternatively it could be a back four with Whelan and Kilgour in the centre, Hoole at right-back and Clarke at left-back. Westbrooke, McCormick and Coutts would fill the middle with Saunders and Jasper providing support for Marquis in the centre in a 4-3-3.

Josh Coburn, signed on Deadline Day from Middlesbrough is named on the bench for the first-time, whilst defensive duo James Gibbons and Lewis Gibson are both named on the bench after periods out with injury.

Gibbons has not played since the 4-0 win over Burton Albion which was the second game of the season, because of a foot injury that forced him to undergo surgery.

Gibson meanwhile has had to deal with a minor calf tear which ruled him out for the last five matches, but now both defenders have worked their way into a match-day squad at least.

As for abseentees, top scorer and assister Aaron Collins is not in the squad at all and is afforded a rest. Jordan Rossiter, Antony Evans, Lewis Gordon and Harry Anderson are also absent from the squad.

Crystal Palace: Joe Whitworth, Fionn Mooney, Kofi Balmer, Noah Watson, Tayo Adaramola, David Ozoh, Killian Phillips, Maliq Cadogan, David Omilabu, Ademola Ola-Adebomi, John-Kymani Gordon,