BURY boss David Flitcroft will assess which players he can afford to rest for tonight’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie at home to Morecambe following a gruelling week on the road.

The Shakers netted six points from back-to-back wins, at Peterborough last Tuesday and Colchester on Saturday, making it seven straight victories in all competitions as they moved up to third in the League One table.

But Flitcroft only had six players on the bench at the weekend after Jacob Mellis failed to shrug off a thigh strain.

And with reserve keeper Jack Ruddy flying out to Germany to join up with the Scotland Under-19s squad on Saturday, Bury are down to the bare bones.

Yet the Shakers manager has vowed to give some of his players a break and is pondering how many of the five changes he is permitted to make under cup rules to use for the second-round tie.

“There will be a body count when we get back to Carrington because that is some shift the boys have put in,” he said after Saturday’s 1-0 win at Colchester, which followed a seven-hour journey down to Essex.

“I know we have got the points but wow, I think the lads, and what they have given us, have been nothing short of remarkable.

“So I do really want to change a winning side.

“I have got two centre-halves and a 17-year-old (as back-up) so that is something that I have got to be mindful of.

“And do I want Tom Soares getting injured in that game (against Morecambe)?

“Morecambe is a battalion of a team.

“They have got a top manager in Jim (Bentley) who will have them revved up.

“So we have got to really get the balance right. We will certainly be looking to do something because I have got a duty of care to these players.”

Matty Foulds, aged 17, made his first start for Bury at centre-back in the last round at Accrington and could replace either captain Nathan Cameron or Peter Clarke in defence.

Another youth prospect, midfielder Khalid Mohammed, is also pushing for a starting role, possibly in place of Soares, while reserve forwards Hallam Hope and Danny Rose could get some game time.

Flitcroft admitted he lost out on two potential, unamed loan signings last week as he looks to freshen up a squad shorn of injured midfielders Kelvin Etuhu and Andrew Tutte.

“Injuries have started to bite over the last three or four weeks, but the squad has rotated brilliantly,” he added.

“I have given everyone game time and we are a nice tight unit.

“Loan options that we have looked at, we have been beaten to by teams of higher standing in the game than us, with their finances they could rip it up.

“There were two lads I wanted since the start of the season and they have gone to different clubs in League One.

“It’s galling really, because of where we are in the league. You want them to come for football reasons really and I was just telling them, if you want to be a part of it then be a part of it but they have gone to different clubs.

“We will still be chasing down hard on our objectives and see what we can do, but we are certainly under-manned at the minute.”