Burton Albion will attempt to move back into the top six of the League One standings when they square off against Bolton Wanderers on Monday night.
However, the Brewers make the trip to the University of Bolton Stadium knowing that their mid-table opponents will move ahead of them with victory in front of their own supporters.
Match preview
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When Burton started the new League One campaign with three successive victories, the signs were there that Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side could remain as the early pacesetters.
However, collecting just one point from meetings with division newcomers Cambridge United and Cheltenham Town has left Hasselbaink with much to ponder going forward.
The return of the Dutchman can only be deemed a monumental success, but the former forward is now having to deal with a certain level of expectation at the Pirelli Stadium.
Hasselbaink will hope that Lucas Akins's second-half equaliser in the Cheltenham game will swing the momentum back in both his and the first-team squad's favour.
Nevertheless, the majority of their rivals also endured ups and down during August, something which should provide Hasselbaink with a sense of perspective ahead of this contest.
Coincidentally, Bolton's only setback of the season also came at Cambridge, the Trotters going down by a 1-0 scoreline last Saturday.
Despite succumbing to a surprise defeat, Ian Evatt will be feeling positive about his team's chances this season having previously collected eight points from four games.
Late goals have helped Bolton claim a number of points from losing positions, although they still have just one clean sheet to their name.
While Josh Sheehan and Eoin Doyle have both had a hand in three goals this season, it remains to be seen how Bolton will handle the absence of the former on Monday evening.
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Team News
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Sheehan has been handed a call-up to the Wales squad, leaving Bolton boss Evatt with a decision regarding who takes his place in the centre of the pitch
George Thomason or Andrew Lutte are both vying for a recall in what may be the only alteration to the starting lineup.
Despite his goal in the Checkatrade Trophy, Nathan Delfouneso is likely to remain among the replacements.
Charlie Lakin, Sam Hughes and Daniel Jebbison are all available for Burton after their transfers on deadline day.
With Omari Patrick yet to score this season, Sheffield United teenager Jebbison could be drafted straight into the first XI.
Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Dixon; Jones, Johnston, Santos, John; Williams, Thomason; Afolayan, Sarcevic, Isgrove; Doyle
Burton Albion possible starting lineup:
Garratt; Brayford, Shaughnessy, Leak, Hamer; Mancienne, Borthwick-Jackson; Smith, Powell, Akins; Jebbisonk
We say: Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Burton Albion
Given the competitiveness in the top half of the table, both teams may focus more on avoiding defeat than pushing for all three points. With that in mind, do not be surprised to see a low-scoring draw play out in the North-West.
Top tip
Darren Plant
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Bolton Wanderers win with a probability of 40.42%. A win for Burton Albion had a probability of 32.71% and a draw had a probability of 26.9%.
The most likely scoreline for a Bolton Wanderers win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.89%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.51%) and 2-0 (7.26%). The likeliest Burton Albion win was 0-1 (9.57%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.76%). The actual scoreline of 0-0 was predicted with an 8.2% likelihood.
