NIGEL Clough says that his players will be wary of Salford City being an FA Cup banana skin.
Albion travel to the upwardly-mobile League Two outfit knowing that the home side will relish being underdogs and having the chance of turning over a club from a higher division.
The Brewers manager said: “It’s a tough draw, it could have been worse but could have been a lot better.
“They have good players at Salford. They have had a bit of cup glory in recent seasons and it has raised their profile even more. They will see it as another step in the right direction and when Salford are in a draw there are not many teams who would want to go there.
“It will be a difficult game and if we aren’t at it and don’t approach it in the right way, it will be even harder.
“People were surprised when Graham Alexander went there as they were still in non-league, but it sent a big signal out for their intentions and where they see him taking them through the leagues. You don’t attract that kind of manager and quality without those ambitions and the plans to back it up.
“I know they would love promotion, but I think this year if they consolidate in League Two, they will look to push on next season. They could challenge the top six but it is the Football League for the first time and they have come up so quickly that they might want a season to catch their breath. That doesn’t preclude an FA Cup run and they are hitting a bit form at the moment.
“Set plays are a big threat from them so if you give silly free kicks and corners away they have people who can put the ball dangerously into your penalty area.”
But Clough knows that his Albion team are playing well away from home and that Salford will be wary of the number of chances the Brewers create on their travels with 22 attempts on goal at Doncaster.
Clough said: “It’s only a matter of time before a higher proportion of those efforts on goal go in so we are going to keep playing the way we do.”