Manager Nigel Clough admits City players could 'frighten' Burton

Nigel Clough admits he has kept back information on Manchester City to avoid frightening the life out of his Burton squad.

Manager Clough admits the club’s chances of progressing are extremely slim and has told players and fans to enjoy the occasion of a Carabao Cup semi-final.

League One Burton have an annual wage bill 87 times smaller than Pep Guardiola’s squad and Clough, whose side have beaten Aston Villa, Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough to reach this point, accepts City represent a daunting task.

Clough said: ‘I watched them play Liverpool and their work-rate and ability all over the pitch was there for everybody to see. They also have strength in depth, not just on the bench but below that.

'They have the best youngsters in the country, so whichever team they play has quality. Every game you have a chance but it’s just about what degree that chance is. Ours is extremely slim.

‘We won’t go into detail about their players as that will frighten the life out of our lads. They know how good Man City are because they watch Match of the Day every week.’

Clough added: ‘Nobody gives us much of a chance and quite rightly so. But it’s great for our supporters. Some have followed the club for 40, 50, 60 years or more and never dreamed of being in a League Cup semi-final, so let’s enjoy it.

‘We will approach it the same way we have when we have faced Championship clubs and Premier League Burnley in the competition this season. We also can’t do too much work on them as we have no idea what team they will play — and that helps in some ways.

‘We will just focus on ourselves, do our jobs and hope City have a terrible night. For something to happen in our favour, they will have to have an off night.’

Clough was a boy when his dad Brian won the League Cup with Nottingham Forest as a manager in 1978 to begin a glorious period for the club and he is pleased to have added to his family’s history.

‘It was one of the first things that Forest won in the late 1970s, beating Leeds in the semi-final over two legs, then Liverpool in the final after a replay,’ he said. ‘It kick-started Forest’s belief and it all went from there.’

Clough was Burton manager in 2006 when his team, then in the Conference, held Manchester United 0-0 at home in the FA Cup. But he believes the task against City is a harder proposition.

‘The gulf between the top teams and the third tier is massive now,’ Clough said. ‘When Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo came on after 59 minutes for United, it’s a similar sort of prospect with the likes of the quality City have.’