O’Kane, who impressed as a second-half substitute in the 1-1 draw at Wycombe on Saturday, will be given valuable minutes from the first whistle in an experienced midfield that also contains Alan McCormack and Jorge Grant, alongside teenager Arthur Read.

Goalkeeper Harry Isted makes his senior competitive debut for the club behind a back four of James Justin, Lloyd Jones, captain Alan Sheehan and Jack Senior. At the other end of the pitch will be Harry Cornick and Aaron Jarvis.

On the bench is 17-year-old forward Josh Neufville, who signed his first professional contract yesterday, along with fellow youth teamers Connor Tomlinson, who made history two years ago in this competition as the club’s youngest ever player, and midfielder Drew Richardson.

A reminder that if tonight’s match finishes level after 90 minutes, both teams get one point. As with last season’s group stage games against Tottenham and Barnet here at Kenilworth Road, there will then be a penalty competition with an additional point on offer to the winners of the shoot-out, which will revert back to the traditional ABAB format following last season’s trial with an ABBA sequence.

TOWN: Isted, Justin, Jones, Sheehan ©, Senior, McCormack, Grant, Read, O’Kane, Cornick, Jarvis. Subs: Rea, James, Musonda, Tomlinson, Neufville, Richardson, Stech.

BRIGHTON: Steele, White, Gyokeres, Tilley, Connolly, A Davies, J Davies ©, Kerr, Mandriou, Cochrane, Onen. Subs: Barclay, O’Hora, Collings (GK), Spong, Cashman, Packham.

REFEREE: John Busby