Barnsley will begin a run of three successive games against their former managers when they visit Keith Hill's Rochdale tomorrow.

The Reds then make the second of three early season visits to Mark Robins' Scunthorpe United in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Tuesday before hosting Shrewsbury Town, who are managed by former Oakwell caretaker Micky Mellon, on September 5.

As well as their manager, several Rochdale players will be familiar faces to Barnsley fans. Left-back Tom Kennedy – released by the Reds a year ago after 75 appearances – has been an ever present in Dale's defence so far this season. Another constant in the Lancashire club's rearguard has been centre-back Jim McNulty who made 61 appearances in three years at Oakwell and joined Rochdale this summer following his release from Bury who are managed by another former Reds boss David Flitcroft.

Barnsley academy graduate Reuben Noble-Lazarus scored on the opening day and made his first start in midweek. Dale began the season with 2-0 wins over Peterborough and Blackpool then lost at home to Walsall before drawing 0-0 at Chesterfield on Saturday and going out of League Cup 1-0 at Hull on Tuesday.

Barnsley won 1-0 at Spotland in October then thrashed Hill's side 5-0 on the final day of last season but Johnson says that result means nothing.

"It is a completely different game to the last one against them," Johnson told the Chronicle after the Reds' 5-3 loss to Everton in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday.

"We watched them at Hull on Tuesday and they are really energetic and dynamic. I think they will be up at there challenge at the top of the table if they avoid injuries to key players.  It will be one of our toughest games of the season. It could be 'after the Lord Mayor's show' and the players are very tired. This is probably a bigger test than the Everton game because it is harder to play our style of football with fatigue in your legs. I have some serious decisions to make with team selection."

After the Rochdale match, Barnsley will return on Tuesday to Glanford Park where they beat Scunthorpe on penalties in the Capital One Cup earlier this month and where they visit again in League One on October 31. Hill's predecessor Robins – who managed the Reds for 92 games between September 2009 and May 2011 – has won one out of five games this season. The Iron visit Colchester tomorrow. n Full Rochdale preview on page 23.