Ironically, at a time when Wrexham’s side has brought us such pleasure and excitement, I’ll be desperate to see Coventry City’s team sheet on Saturday.

The FA Cup has, sadly, been devalued since the days when it was valued as highly as the league. The final used to be a world-wide occasion, and the winners would be feted accordingly. Now, of course, higher division sides use the early rounds as an opportunity to rest key players.

Coventry will have to exercise caution in following that tactic though. Managers make calculated judgements on how strong a side is required to dispose of the opponents in front of them in these situations. Hopefully the Sky Blues boss, Mark Robins, hasn’t demanded too much of his opposition scouting team, and might judge us based on our status in the pyramid of leagues rather than our recent performances on the pitch! (I know that’s a daft notion, but indulge me!)

Our back-to-back wins over Solihull Moors were terrific, as we disposed of a strong side with authority both home and away. For me, though, the most significant pair of recent performances are our last two away games.

There has been a lingering doubt about our away form throughout the season, but our side has evolved and now looks well equipped to impose itself on enemy territory.

It been a process which has taken half a season, but Jordan Tunnicliffe (below), Elliot Lee and Tom O’Connor have been assimilated into the starting eleven, and the balance of the side is reflected in the level of control we showed at Eastleigh and Solihull.

In the former game we dominated a side which, at the time, had a home record bettered only by us. Then last Monday we went to a venue where we’ve enjoyed little success and dominated 90 per cent of the game.

Phil Parkinson won’t rotate this team: there’s no reason to. By Saturday we’ll have had the best part of a week off, so I’m sure he won’t feel any urgent need to change the formula which has served us so well in recent weeks.

Robins’ intentions, though, are quite different. The Coventry manager has already announced that he will change his team around, giving a rest to some players after the traditionally busy festive fixture list, and allowing others to put some minutes into their legs.

Injuries mean he’s less likely to fully rotate the side than he might have planned, but he’s been explicit in suggesting that the likes of current Swedish international Viktor Gyökeres, who has been attracting the interest of Premier League clubs, will be given a break.

So how much of a gamble is he willing to take? On the face of it, a Championship team who are just 4 points off the play-offs are lining up at home to a side from three divisions below them. The reality is less clear-cut though.

Parkinson has assembled a side with the characteristics of a strong League One side, in part to get out of the National League as swiftly as possible, in part to be ready to hit League Two running once that first goal has been achieved.  

If Parkinson sticks to the side that beat Solihull Moors home and away, with the enforced change of Callum McFadzean replacing Jacob Mendy, then ten of his eleven will have been signed directly from the Football League, and all eleven of them will have played in League One at least, if not higher.

I’m not saying that I expect us to win: make no mistake, we go into this as underdogs. But if Robins take too great a gamble with his starting eleven, we’re equipped to take advantage. Put it this way: if a heavily-rotated Championship team played us at The Racecourse, I’d consider us to be favourites. If we face the same scenario on Saturday, with the venues switched, all bets are off.

I can’t wait to see that Coventry team sheet!