Ryan Semple

A mixture of Under 18s and Under 21s will kick-start their friendly programme at Wingate & Finchley on Saturday (3pm).

The pre-season friendly programme gets underway for the Academy on Saturday afternoon (3pm) with a mixture of the Under 18s and 21s travelling to face Wingate & Finchley, the second successive year the sides have met as part of the preparations for the new campaign. 

Ryan Semple will take the game with four trialists named in the squad as a number of the younger first year professionals are currently in Spain with Darren Ferguson's first team squad. 

Pemi Aderoju, Donay O'Brien-Brady and Ollie Rose will all be in the squad to face AFC Wimbledon on Friday night alongside fellow youngsters Harley Mills and James Dornelly, who are more established first team squad players. 

Semple knows what he is looking for from the game: "For the first game of pre-season, you are obviously first and foremost looking to get fitness into the players and to come through unscathed in terms of injuries. 

"It has been a good two or three weeks training, we are looking for the players to take those good habits into the games programme with and without the ball. 

"I want to see the team developing patterns of play and finding a good understanding with each other. We are looking forward to the game, we played Wingate & Finchley last season in pre-season and it was a good test on a good playing surface. I am sure it will be the same again."

The game will take place at the Maurice Rebak Stadium, London N12 0PD.