David Healy admits Linfield will ring the changes for BetMcLean League Cup clash with rivals Glentoran

Healy’s men opened up an eight-point gap at the Sports Direct Premiership summit after beating Newry City 3-0 at the weekend and will tackle nearest challengers Larne on Saturday, but before that have their sights set on taking one step closer to defending the cup crown they won for an 11th time last term.

With the likes of Ryan McKay, Jordan Stewart, Robbie McDaid and Stephen Fallon missing due to injury and John Robertson and Jack Scott departing the club last week, Healy has to manage his squad carefully as the Windsor Park outfit try to compete on all fronts.

"We'll make numerous changes on Tuesday night,” he said. “We're down to the bare bones in terms of squad numbers so we will make quite a few changes.

"That's the only way we can get through at the minute.

"We have two big games upcoming.

"We changed Kyle McClean for Jamie (Mulgrew against Newry). I think Kyle has played every game going back to even the European matches.

"It was probably more of a Jamie Mulgrew pitch and match with what we needed, but Kyle was rested knowing that he will certainly play going forward because he has been brilliant for us this year.

"We go into the Glentoran game in good form and we look forward to it.

"Hopefully we can progress and then we have the league champions coming next week who are in good form themselves."

Linfield could look at the free agent market, just like they did when acquiring Dane McCullough last month, to help alleviate any squad pressures, but Healy says transfer activity will likely be saved for January.

"The strong likelihood is that nothing will be done now before January,” he added. “We are where we are.

"The sooner we get numbers and bodies back - if you look at our bench against Newry I think everybody, apart from Kyle, who is no veteran at 25, were 20 or under.

"We have to make sure we're minimising suspensions and injuries.

"We are short in terms of the squad but that's certainly not down to my doing with the numbers we have at the minute.

"It was a decision that was made and we'll look in January for one or two if we have the right resources."