Port Vale manager Micky Adams will hope Joe Davis and Clayton McDonald can recover from injury in time to form a new central defensive partnership.
Davis is nursing a dead leg sustained during the 2-0 League Two defeat at Northampton last weekend and McDonald, having served a one-match ban for that game, is now battling to be fit after suffering a hip injury.
The signs look good for Adams as both players have taken part in training, having missed Monday's session.
It could be a timely boost for Vale, who will be without John McCombe and Gareth Owen for the first-round clash at the New Lawn.
Stand-in skipper McCombe will begin a three-match suspension following his red card against the Cobblers, while Owen will be absent after suffering a dead leg in that game.
Captain Doug Loft (calf), fellow defender Richard Duffy (leg) and midfielder Ryan Burge (knee) will remain sidelined.
