GARY Liddle returns to City's ranks tonight as Phil Parkinson tells his reshuffled line-up: There are shirts up for grabs.

Parkinson will ring the changes for the Capital One Cup derby at York, with summer signings Paul Anderson, Mark Marshall, Luke James and Steve Davies all in line to feature.

He has also stressed that Liddle will play after being overlooked for Tony McMahon in the midfield holding role in Saturday's 4-1 loss at Swindon – a decision that vexed many supporters.

Parkinson said: "I can understand that (reaction) but I've got to make the call I feel is right for the balance of the side.

"I just felt that Tony did really well in there against Burnley the previous week. He hit the bar with a free-kick and his set-piece delivery was good, so I wanted to give him the chance.

"Towards the end of last season, he played well in the middle of that three as well.

"But that's the competition we want and I've got to make a decision. As a manager, you've got to make sure you get more right than wrong.

"They are both good players fighting for that position. But Gary will be playing tonight, I can assure you of that."

Stephen Darby is nursing a tight calf, so McMahon could be shifted to right back to rest the skipper. But Parkinson insists there will be no 'B' team look about his selection.

"There are players who will get the opportunity because it's vital they get minutes on the pitch," he said.

"But I do feel genuinely that our best 11 is not going to emerge for a few weeks. We're looking for people to stake a claim because there are places up for grabs.

"You've got players who weren't starting on Saturday who are very good and the rest of the squad know that. It's a case of getting them up to speed."

Parkinson hopes City have learned from their shocking collapse against Swindon about the danger of switching off at half-time.

He said: "Mentality is the key. If you think the job's done and aren't prepared to work hard for the team, then you get punished.

"Obviously we came up against a player (hat-trick man Nathan Byrne) who probably had the best 20 minutes of his whole career – but we can do far better in our defending.

"We know there's a lot of hope for this season but sometimes you've got to take a harsh lesson. That's fine as long as you learn from it."

City beat Morecambe at the same stage last year to book a money-spinning home win over Leeds.

Parkinson said: "Nobody knows better than us the benefits of a cup run and the exposure. We've had some fantastic memories.

"But let's not forget Notts County away a couple of years ago, where we had to work hard, and Morecambe last season. There's a big prize at stake but you have to earn that."