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"I think you have to pay respect to the sponsors, they are putting good money in and I don't think it gets the recognition it deserves really but I'll have to look at my squad and see how fit they are for Tuesday because we have a big game on Friday and the league is paramount, it's everything to us.
"I'm not being disrespectful, but the league is more important to us than tonight's trophy match. The league games are our bread and butter and we want to do well. I think we can go and give anybody a game to be honest, but it'll be a difficult match, Carlisle had a good result at the weekend so we're well warned about what their capabilities are so we have to try and get out there and get a result because our fans will travel up in decent numbers I hope."
Meanwhile City's ex-Blackpool striker John Murphy told the Chester Evening Leader :
"I've got special memories of tonight's competition and the further we can go, the more it's worth winning. The final is a great day out for the fans, so hopefully we can put a strong team out tonight because it will be a tough game at Carlisle. Carlisle won on Saturday and they play in a league above us, so it will be a tough test for us. Team selection is obviously down to the manager, but we played at full strength against Crewe in the last round and it obviously paid off.
"I left Blackpool before they won in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium but a couple of the lads have told me what an amazing place it is, so it would be nice to appear there before the curtain comes down on my career. We've got a great team spirit at Chester and that has earned us a number of rewards recently."
Chester have started well this season in League Two under the leadership of new boss Bobby Williamson, City currently sitting third in the table two points behind first-placed MK Dons. Most impressive though is the away form of the Deva Stadium outfit that has seen them win four and draw one of their five games on the road to date.
In team news for City it's hard to gauge who might take part in a Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie. One player to keep an eye though is 17-year old Paul McManus, the diminutive striker scored a hat-trick against Carlisle in the reserves at Brunton Park recently and made his first-team debut from the bench in Chester's 3-1 home win over Shrewsbury on Sunday.
McManus's fast tracking through the youth scheme saw him sign a one-year professional contract with City last week and he looks likely to play from the start tonight. Another 17-year old, in YTS midfielder Glenn Rule could also earn a place in the visitors matchday sixteen after being called up into the first-team squad for tonight.
Recent signing Tony Dinning, who finally joined Chester as a free agent last week after an on-going saga involving the club's salary cap limitations, could also be in the first eleven. In worse news for City striker Nathan Lowndes is still struggling to shake off a leg injury while defender Kevin Roberts could miss the game after taking a knock on his ankle in a reserve match against Huddersfield. Meanwhile defender James Vaughan and veteran midfielder Tony Grant are also rated 50-50 to take part tonight.
United have an excellent record at home to Chester over the years, the Cumbrians winning 25 and drawing nine of the 40 games contested between the two sides at Brunton Park. Carlisle having netted goals at a rate of over two a match against City as well - having scored 85 times at home to the Deva Stadium outfit since the first meeting in the Third Division North in 1931-32.
The last game seeing United earn their biggest historical win over Chester in the 2005-06 League Two title-winning campaign, the Cumbrians thumping City 5-0 in front of 6,581 spectators inside Brunton Park. Chester have only won six times in Carlisle in 40 attempts with four of those victories coming by a two-goal margin and the other two by the odd goal in three.
The referee for tonight's match is Neil Swarbrick from Preston, and he will be assisted down the lines by Iain Siddall from Bolton and Paul Simpson (no not him) from County Durham. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Garry Wallace from the Tyne and Wear area.