Steve Guinan is set to make his full Cambridge United League debut tomorrow and partner Trevor Benjamin up front in the U's first match since the departure of Martin Butler. The former Nottingham Forest man signed on Christmas Eve until the end of the season, and knows he has the opportunity to stake his claim for a long term deal.

Left-back Clive Wilson returns from the knee injury that forced him out of the last two games but a hamstring injury to Jason Kavanagh could force the versatile Ian Ashbee (left) to switch flanks and fill in at right-back instead.

Roy McFarland warned in today's Cambridge Evening News that it would take a team effort to replace Butler as the team prepared for the first league game without him since March 1998 - an impressive 76 consecutive League matches ago:

"We can't expect Steve to go in and fill Martin's boots straight away, he hasn't been playing regular first-team football this season, and Martin had established himself as one of the best strikers in the division. Everybody has to give a bit extra in what is another very big match for us."

To Will Jones in yesterday's exclusive interview for U's Net, McFarland added, "That hole, which is massive, won't be filled by one player. Steve Guinan will fill the shoes, but he won't fill the hole. We will have to fill it with a lot of commitment and a lot of support. That will come from the whole team and myself together. We will have to try to make it work without Martin Butler.

"Who will score the goals? I hope Steve Guinan scores and that Trevor stays in the vein he is at present. It is now his opportunity to grab that mantle that Martin left behind, and if he does he will become one of the legends and heroes here like Dion Dublin or John Taylor. It is a great opportunity for Trevor."

Tomorrow's visitors Wigan are currently third in the table, unbeaten on their travels all season, and have lost just one of their 27 games, although their form has dipped recently and their leading scorer Stuart Barlow, who leads the Division Two goalscorers chart, has been relegated to the bench.

They return to action after having last weekend off, and welcome captain Carl Bradshaw back from injury. Stuart Balmer is suspended while Ian Kilford and Scott Green face late fitness tests.