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Arsenal are expected to stick to their young second-string side for the Carling Cup quarter-final clash with Burnley, while Stoke City should end their rotation policy for their encounter with Derby County.

Burnley v Arsenal

Burnley boss Owen Coyle will check on the fitness of winger Wade Elliott ahead of the Carling Cup quarter-final at home to Arsenal.

Elliott has missed the Clarets' last two matches due to a groin strain while Christian Kalvenes and Remco van der Schaaf could again miss out after recent injuries and illness.

Striker Steve Thompson is ineligible to play after he represented Cardiff in an earlier round of the competition, so in-form Martin Paterson will again lead the attack.

The Northern Ireland international, 21, is proving a big hit at Turf Moor following his summer move from Scunthorpe and has scored 11 goals in all competitions.

Paterson, who has four goals in his last two appearances, said: "I've had two great games and hopefully I've done enough to keep the shirt."

Arsenal will once again play their young second-string team, with boss Arsene Wenger explaining the club's strategy in developing promising talent through competitions such as the Carling Cup.

"I believe part of the educational process is to show the players at some stage that you have faith in them. You have to give them a chance to show how good they are," he said.

"Until you see a player perform in front of 60,000 people against top-level competition, you can never tell how good he really is.

"That is the final part of it and if we don't do it in the Carling Cup then we will never know."

Mikael Silvestre, Nicklas Bendtner and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski are expected to be among the more experienced players in the side.

Mexico starlet Carlos Vela should start alongside Bendtner while Wales teenager Aaron Ramsey, 16-year-old Jack Wilshere and striker Jay Simpson - who netted a brace in the last round against Wigan - will all be in contention.

"I am really enjoying it. It has been a big learning curve since I joined, but I already feel as if I have learned a lot here," Ramsey said.

"Playing alongside world-class players in training every day is a big help.

"I just want to kick on now, try to make myself an established first-team player for Arsenal."

Summer signing Amaury Bischoff is also available after his return to match-fitness.

Stoke City v Derby County

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis will abandon the rotation policy that he used during the Potters' opening matches against Reading and Rotherham after admitting that he is "desperate" for his side to qualify for a major semi-final for the first time in nearly four decades.

But his team will still be without striker Dave Kitson, recovering from a knee injury, while midfielder Michael Tonge will also miss out as he is cup-tied.

Goalkeeper Steve Simonsen could take over from first-choice Thomas Sorensen while Glenn Whelan could also figure in midfield. Ryan Shawcross may return to defence.

Derby County, meanwhile, will be without five first-team players for the clash at the Britannia Stadium. Manager Paul Jewell remains without three key central defenders in Dean Leacock (groin), Martin Albrechtsen (calf) and Claude Davis (hamstring).

Two on-loan players in the form of Charlton striker Luke Varney and Arsenal midfielder Nacer Barazite are cup-tied and also unavailable.

Jewell has however been boosted by the news that a third loan player, West Ham and England Under-21 defender James Tompkins, can take his place in the squad.

The Rams are aiming for a place in the last four of the competition for the first time in 40 years but have lost their last three away games in the Championship - where they lie 15th - without scoring a goal.

Eurosport