CRAWLEY were the final visitors to Valley Parade last season – but do not use that game as any kind of form guide.

Only two of their April line-up – left back Joe Walsh and midfielder Gwion Edwards – are still at the Broadfield Stadium after a summer blitz on the squad.

With the wage budget cut considerably, 16 players left the Sussex club at the end of the campaign. That exodus included City striker Billy Clarke, who misses an early reunion tonight because of his hamstring problem.

But boss John Gregory has wheeled and dealed to bring in 17 new faces – and has been rewarded with a 100 per cent start.

Saturday's success against Swindon was their third 1-0 win so far, with all three goals coming from new recruit Izale McLeod – a striker Phil Parkinson knows well from his Charlton days.

Crawley's last defeat was that 2-1 loss against the Bantams but Parkinson has not wasted his time watching the match video.

He said: "Crawley are a completely different team now, barring one or two players. But most of the players they have brought in we know anyway – it's not as if we are going into the unknown.

"We know they are a very hard-working and well-organised team and have made a terrific start to the season.

"They are a very competitive team and we are going to have to be on our guard with their movement set-piece wise. We can expect a lot of long throws from both sides.

"John Gregory is an experienced manager and he has set them up to be compact and tough to beat, like he did when he went in there last year."

Clarke, who scored 24 goals in 92 appearances for the Red Devils, has not travelled down to his old stamping ground as he still recovers from the slight training injury he suffered on Friday.

Parkinson said: "It's only a minor injury but sometimes people do get little niggles at this stage early in the season. It can be caused by fatigue as much as anything.

"In hindsight I probably should have left Billy out at Morecambe but he got through the game."