The Iron return to action on Tuesday as they travel to Blundell Park to face Grimsby Town in the first group stage game in the Leasing.com Trophy (kick-off 7.45pm).
SCENE-SETTER
United will be looking for their first victory of the season and come into the encounter off the back of a slender 1-0 defeat to Carlisle United at the Sands Venue Stadium on Saturday, despite a dominant performance.
Grimsby Town came from behind to beat Walsall at the weekend, responding from going a goal down after five minutes. Elliott Whitehouse and James Hanson (two) got to the goals in the 3-1 away win at the Banks's Stadium.
TEAM NEWS
Paul Hurst is likely to give the opportunity to a couple of players who are yet to feature much this season, but will take a similar squad as the one that faced the Cumbrians at the weekend.
James Perch is eligible to play in the match, with his third game of a three-match suspension being served against Mansfield at the weekend, while Lee Novak (ankle) remains absent for the next month or so.
Hurst dealt another injury blow ahead of the Carlisle encounter with Kgosi Ntlhe confirmed to miss around six weeks of action with a back injury, while Jordan Hallam is out for two months with an ankle problem.
Jamie Proctor can't figure as he's already played for Rotherham in the competition this season.
Meanwhile, skipper Andy Butler will miss out after coming off at the weekend with pins and needles in his foot. Jacob Bedeau, who is coming back from a knee injury, is likely to be part of the squad.
Clayton Lewis is set to join New Zealand for international duty, while elsewhere, Andy Dales (hamstring), Levi Sutton (knee ligaments) and Lewis Butroid (ankle) are still out due to injuries picked up in pre-season.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Speaking ahead of the game, Grimsby Town boss Michael Jolley said: "We’ve got an incredibly busy schedule coming up over the next month, and we’ve got to use the squad as wisely as possible.
"We’ll be putting out a team that we believe can win the game, but also a team that recognises the schedule that we’ve got. We’ll be making a lot of changes to the team, and we’ll be putting out a young team.
"One of the main themes of my time here has been the development of the younger players. This competition gives us a good opportunity to blood some of the younger players.
"I’m talking more about the younger-end of our first-team squad, who haven’t had quite so much game time. So we need to make sure that we give them ample opportunity to show that they can do, and keep improving."
PAST MEETINGS
| SEASON - DATE | COMPETITION | RESULT | IRON SCORERS |
| 2017-18 - Tue Oct 3 | FLT GS | Iron 2-1 Grimsby | Hopper 2 |
| 2013-14 - Tue Nov 19 | FAC R1 R | Iron 1-2 Grimsby | Hawkridge |
| 2013-14 - Sat Nov 9 | FAC R1 | Grimsby 0-0 Iron | |
| 2008-09 - Tue Oct 7 | FLT R2 | Iron 2-1 Grimsby | Togwell, Morris |
| 2004-05 - Sat Apr 23 | LG 2 | Grimsby 0-0 Iron | |
| 2004-05 - Sat Nov 6 | LG 2 | Iron 2-0 Grimsby | Hayes 2 |
| 1997-98 - Tue Jan 27 | FLT QF | Iron 0-2 Grimsby | |
| 1989-90 - Tue Apr 17 | DIV 4 | Grimsby 2-1 Iron | Flounders |
| 1989-90 - Tue Dec 26 | DIV 4 | Iron 2-2 Grimsby | Daws, Marshall |
| 1988-89 - Sat Mar 18 | DIV 4 | Grimsby 1-1 Iron | Flounders |
| 1988-89 - Sat Sep 10 | DIV 4 | Iron 1-1 Grimsby | Lister |
| 1982-83 - Tue Jan 11 | FAC R3 R | Grimsby 2-0 Iron | |
| 1982-83 - Sat Jan 8 | FAC R3 | Iron 0-0 Grimsby | |
| 1982-83 - Tue Sep 14 | FLC R1 L2 | Grimsby 0-0 Iron | |
| 1982-83 - Tue Aug 31 | FLC R1 L1 | Iron 1-2 Grimsby | Cowling |
| 1979-80 - Tue Aug 14 | FLC R1 L2 | Iron 0-0 Grimsby | |
| 1979-80 - Sat Aug 11 | FLC R1 L1 | Grimsby 2-0 Iron | |
| 1978-79 - Sat Apr 14 | DIV 4 | Grimsby 1-1 Iron | Kavanagh |
| 1978-79 - Tue Dec 26 | DIV 4 | Iron 2-1 Grimsby | Kilmore, Grimes |
| 1977-78 - Fri Mar 3 | DIV 4 | Iron 2-1 Grimsby | Lumby 2 |
| 1977-78 - Sat Oct 8 | DIV 4 | Grimsby 0-0 Iron | |
| 1972-73 - Tue Dec 26 | DIV 3 | Grimsby 1-0 Iron | |
| 1972-73 - Sat Sep 23 | DIV 3 | Iron 1-2 Grimsby | Deere |
| 1971-72 - Sat Oct 16 | DIV 4 | Iron 1-2 Grimsby | Deere |
| 1971-72 - Sat Aug 14 | DIV 4 | Grimsby 4-1 Iron | Fletcher |
| 1970-71 - Fri Apr 9 | DIV 4 | Grimsby 1-0 Iron | |
| 1970-71 - Sat Oct 3 | DIV 4 | Iron 1-2 Grimsby | Keegan |
| 1969-70 - Sat Dec 13 | DIV 4 | Iron 1-1 Grimsby | Cassidy |
| 1969-70 - Sat Sep 13 | DIV 4 | Grimsby 1-1 Iron | Heath |
| 1968-69 - Sat Jan 25 | DIV 4 | Grimsby 0-1 Iron | Cassidy |
| 1968-69 - Wed Nov 6 | DIV 4 | Iron 1-2 Grimsby | Colquhoun |
| 1967-68 - Sat Jan 20 | DIV 3 | Iron 0-3 Grimsby | |
| 1967-68 - Sat Sep 16 | DIV 3 | Grimsby 2-1 Iron | Barton |
| 1966-67 - Tue Sep 27 | DIV 3 | Iron 0-0 Grimsby | |
| 1966-67 - Wed Sep 7 | DIV 3 | Grimsby 7-1 Iron | Bedford |
| 1965-66 - Tue Apr 12 | DIV 3 | Iron 2-2 Grimsby | Bedford, Colquhoun |
| 1965-66 - Fri Apr 8 | DIV 3 | Grimsby 1-3 Iron | Sloan 3 |
| 1964-65 - Tue Apr 6 | DIV 3 | Grimsby 3-0 Iron | |
| 1964-65 - Sat Dec 26 | DIV 3 | Iron 2-1 Grimsby | Ratcliffe, Kirkman |
| 1963-64 - Sat Apr 11 | DIV 2 | Grimsby 2-0 Iron | |
| 1963-64 - Sat Nov 30 | DIV 2 | Iron 2-2 Grimsby | Conde, Lawther |
| 1962-63 - Fri Dec 21 | DIV 2 | Iron 1-1 Grimsby | Gibson |
| 1962-63 - Sat Aug 25 | DIV 2 | Grimsby 3-0 Iron | |
| 1958-59 - Sat Mar 14 | DIV 2 | Iron 1-3 Grimsby | Marriott |
| 1958-59 - Sat Oct 25 | DIV 2 | Grimsby 1-1 Iron | Waldock |
| 1955-56 - Mon Apr 2 | DIV 3N | Iron 0-1 Grimsby | |
| 1955-56 - Fri Mar 30 | DIV 3N | Grimsby 0-1 Iron | Brown |
| 1954-55 - Thu Sep 2 | DIV 3N | Iron 1-0 Grimsby | Jones |
| 1954-55 - Tue Aug 24 | DIV 3N | Grimsby 1-4 Iron | Brown 2, McGill, Gregory |
| 1953-54 - Sat Dec 19 | DIV 3N | Iron 2-1 Grimsby | Whitfield, Gregory |
| 1953-54 - Sat Aug 22 | DIV 3N | Grimsby 0-1 Iron | Gregory |
| 1952-53 - Wed Sep 3 | DIV 3N | Grimsby 1-0 Iron | |
| 1952-53 - Thu Aug 28 | DIV 3N | Iron 0-1 Grimsby | |
| 1951-52 - Wed Dec 26 | DIV 3N | Iron 1-3 Grimsby | Powell |
| 1951-52 - Tue Dec 25 | DIV 3N | Grimsby 3-2 Iron | Powell 2 |
| SCUNTHORPE WINS | DRAWS | GRIMSBY WINS | |
| EFL TROPHY | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| FA CUP | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| LEAGUE | 11 | 13 | 20 |
| LEAGUE CUP | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 13 | 17 | 25 |
ELSEWHERE IN THE LEASING.COM TROPHY
NORTHERN SECTION
GROUP A
Sunderland v Leicester City U21 (7.45pm)
GROUP B
Accrington Stanley v Fleetwood Town (7.45pm)
GROUP C
Salford City v Aston Villa U21 (7.45pm)
GROUP D
Macclesfield Town v Newcastle United U21 (7.45pm)
Port Vale v Shrewsbury Town (7.45pm)
GROUP E
Crewe Alexandra v Burton Albion (7.30pm)
Mansfield Town v Everton U21 (7.30pm)
GROUP F
Bolton Wanderers v Bradford City (7pm)
GROUP G
Blackpool v Morecambe (7.30pm)
GROUP H
Doncaster Rovers v Lincoln City (7.45pm)
SOUTHERN SECTION
GROUP A
Gillingham v Colchester United (7.45pm)
Ipswich Town v Tottenham Hotspur (7.45pm)
GROUP B
Oxford United v Norwich City U21 (7.45pm)
Portsmouth v Crawley Town (7.45pm)
GROUP C
AFC Wimbledon v Brighton and Hove Albion U21 (7.30pm)
Leyton Orient v Southend United (7.45pm)
GROUP D
Forest Green Rovers v Southampton U21 (7pm)
Coventry City v Walsall (7.45pm)
GROUP E
Exeter City v Cheltenham Town (7.45pm)
GROUP F
Plymouth Argyle v Bristol Rovers (7.45pm)
GROUP G
Stevenage v MK Dons (7.45pm)
GROUP H
Northampton Town v Peterborough United (7.30pm)