Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough believes that Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Shrewsbury Town proved to be a good workout in the end for his Brewers players.

Clough has managed to take the positives from a bizarre pre-season friendly that saw forwards Marvin Sordell and Liam Boyce leave the field of play in the first-half, with Sordell red carded for a horror tackle on Shrews captain Abu Ogogo and Boyce stretchered off after appearing to land awkwardly while trying to bring down a high ball.

The Brewers' boss has made it plain that he doesn't want to speculate on the severity of Boyce's possible injury, and with his scan not until Monday night, no information on the extent of the damage will be known until Tuesday at the earliest.

It was a pre-season friendly by name, but certainly not by nature - with plenty of rash challenges in the opening exchanges with Lucas Akins and Carlton Morris both requiring treatment in the early stages.

Marvin Sordell saw a red card after this challenge on Abu Ogogo of Shrewsbury Town

That led up to Ogogo's first challenge on Sordell that set the tone for the match - with a frantic first-half passing by in an instant.

The Brewers were not permitted to bring a player on in place of Sordell by referee Rob Lewis - as is normally standard procedure in a pre-season friendly match - despite Shrews boss and former Brewer Paul Hurst agreeing with Clough.

However, Clough was keen to stress that working with ten men actually turned out to be of benefit for an Albion team that was playing its ninth pre-season friendly - with just Tuesday night's match against Leicester City to go before the Brewers entertain Cardiff City on the opening weekend of Championship football.

The likes of Hope Akpan - who didn't see much game at all before joining the Brewers earlier this month - it turned out to be of benefit for him to get some minutes under his belt against league opposition.

Clough also saw it almost as a training exercise in how to defend a 0--0 score-line with one-man less, but Albion ultimately failed that test after Jake Buxton conceded a penalty late on - bringing down Shaun Whalley, with the forward getting up to power the spot-kick past Stephen Bywater.

"It turned out to be a very good workout for us," Clough said post-match.

"As I said to the lads, it's guaranteed that one time this season, we'll be away from home, we'll be on the end of a decision, we'll be down to 10 men and then you've got to try to get a 0-0.

"So from that point of view, it was a very good training exercise.

Hope Akpan of Burton Albion
Hope Akpan of Burton Albion

"We're just disappointed to lose the game at any time, especially when the two experienced lads at the back, Stevie (Warnock) and Jake (Buxton), should know better to do the right thing all the way through the game.”

The former Derby county and Sheffield United boss also revealed what sort of side Brewers fans can expect when the 2015/16 Premier League champions come to town tomorrow night.

The likes of Tom Naylor and Matty Palmer - both second-half substitutes at New Meadow - could feature, with Naylor making a surprise appearance as the lone striker as the Brewers looked to take a 0-0 result from Saturday's match before Whalley's winner.

"It will" answered Clough, when asked about whether the squad will be changed for the Foxes' visit on Tuesday night.

"There will be some that will need full games - I think Damien (McCrory) will need a full game, Tom Naylor, Matty Palmer, people like that.

"And then the other lads will just share it."