Josh Cullen will make his Charlton debut in today’s game against Southend United.
The central midfielder who joined the club on Thursday has already trained twice with his new teammates. He’ll be joined in the starting lineup by Nicky Ajose and the returning captain Jason Pearce with the trio replacing Naby Sarr, Joe Aribo and Mark Marshall from the side that drew with Fleetwood Town last weekend.
Aribo will miss the game with a hip injury which isn’t thought to be too serious.
There is also a place on the bench for the first time this season for Tariqe Fosu who suffered a hamstring injury in pre-season.
Dillon Phillips keeps his place in goal and again Lee Bowyer’s team selection leaves him flexible to change things. A 3-5-2 can quite easily become a 4-4-2 diamond with Krystian Bielik moving into midfield. Pearce and Patrick Bauer will play at centre half with Lewis Page on the left and Chris Solly on the right. Bielik may play as a third central defender or a defensive midfielder in the diamond. Darren Pratley and Cullen will start centrally with one of Nicky Ajose and Karlan Grant playing in attacking midfield and the other partnering Lyle Taylor up front.
Bowyer will also have the option to move to a 4-3-3 should he see fit.
There is no place in the squad for Friday's signing Jamie Ward as he was signed after yesterday's 12noon deadline.
Charlton: Phillips; Solly, Bauer, Bielik, Pearce (C), Page; Pratley, Cullen, Grant; Ajose, Taylor
Substitutes: Steer, Dijksteel, Sarr, Lapslie, Fosu, Vetokele, Hackett-Fairchild