Shrewsbury Town boss Steve Cotterill has described Carlisle United as a "big club" ahead of tonight's Carabao Cup clash.

The League One side's manager is hoping to avoid an upset at the hands of Paul Simpson's visitors.

Cotterill anticipates a tough test having been impressed with what he has seen from United.

And he said of the Cumbrians: "I think Carlisle is a big club. If you look at some of the crowds they’ve had there over the years they’re a big club.

READ MORE: Carlisle United's Paul Simpson returns to former club Shrewsbury Town hoping for Carabao Cup run

"Jimmy Glass scored that goal that kept them in the league all those years ago and that’s a great memory for everyone.

"They’re a good team and I’m looking forward to seeing them. I know Paul Simpson, but we’ll sort ourselves out, that’s the main bit.”

Cotterill said he paid close attention to United in one of their pre-season fixtures and was impressed with what he saw.

"It’ll be a tough game," he added on Shrews' website. "I watched Carlisle at Morecambe [in pre-season] and they were very, very good.

"It’ll be a tough game for us without a shadow of a doubt and they’ve started the season well.

"It’s a game we’re looking forward to because after you lose at the weekend, you want to get back out there pretty quickly so we’re looking forward to it."

Shrewsbury, after opening with a 0-0 draw at Morecambe, lost 1-0 to Accrington Stanley on Saturday in League One.

The hosts have defender Tom Flanagan available for tonight's tie after successfully  appealing his red card at Accrington.

The FA confirmed that the Shrews' claim of mistaken identity had been successful, with one of Flanagan's two bookings on Saturday transferred to Marko Marosi.