NIGEL Clough says a testing 1-0 defeat at Shrewsbury will prove useful going into the Championship season.
The Brewers boss said: "It turned out to be a very good work out for us as some time this season we will be away from home, on the end of a decision and down to ten men and then you have to defend and get a 0-0.
"From that point of view it was a good training exercise - it's just disappointing to lose the game, especially when the two experienced lads at the back (Buxton and Bywater) should know to do the right thing through the whole game.
"We made changes as we didn't want them to do too much today, not with ten men when you can get overloaded, which is why we ended up with Tom Naylor up front.
"I also thought we had the best opportunities in the second half and might have had penalty if Lucas Akins had gone down."
Clough says that he would have liked the opportunity to bring Marvin Sordell offf rather than him being red carded for a foul.
"We were going to bring him off as we was injured from the first tackle. He was frightened it was going to happen again with the same player looming. There's no excuse for it, it is a sending off in the game, but it's in pre-season not the season."
Sordell will be suspended for the Leicester friendly on Tuesday but it will not carry over to the start of the Championship season.
"The downside today was losing Liam Boyce," said Clough.
On other injuries he added: "Luke Varney has a tight hamstring but hopefully will be alright for next Saturday. Jackson has a tight hamstring as well and Ben Turner is feeling his ankle but has had an injection that has settled it down."