Huddersfield Town will travel to the Memorial Stadium on Saturday to take on Bristol Rovers in an important game at both ends of the League One table.
The visitors' lead over the chasing pack in the playoff race was cut to a single point following a midweek loss, while their hosts sit just three points above the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Bristol Rovers head back to the Memorial Stadium on Saturday aiming to increase their lead over League One's bottom four, having failed to move clear of the the threat of the drop in recent weeks.
Inigo Calderon took charge in late December and is yet to inspire a major improvement, with the Gas having added 13 points to their tally in 13 league outings under the new boss to move onto 36 from 34 outings.
After beginning February with an important run, picking up 3-1 home victories over fellow strugglers Peterborough United and Burton Albion either side of a draw with high-flying Stockport County, they have hit another slump in recent weeks, going on to suffer three straight defeats having most recently fallen to a 3-2 loss at home to Rotherham United last weekend.
Sam Nombe snatched all three points for their visitors in injury time of that contest, but the Gas were at least able to end the losing run in a trip to basement side Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday as the contest ended goalless.
Now sitting just one place and three points above the bottom four with 12 games left to play, Bristol Rovers will be desperate to kickstart another improved run at the weekend to move clear of the drop zone heading into the final run-in.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, will also aim to bounce back to winning ways at the weekend, having seen their grip on a top-six spot weaken quickly since early 2025.
On the back of a 16-match unbeaten run culminating in mid-January, Huddersfield Town found themselves in the race to win an immediate promotion back to the Championship this term under the new management of Michael Duff on 48 points from 25 games, but they have since added just 10 more points to that tally in 10 further attempts.
In those 10 outings, the Terriers have picked up just three more wins and suffered six defeats, including three in their last four games having fallen short against Peterborough United and Wigan Athletic before bouncing back in a 2-1 triumph away at Stevenage last weekend thanks to goals from Callum Marshall and Nigel Lonwijk.
Then aiming to build on that result and move clear of the chasing pack in the top-six race again, Duff's men hosted third-placed Wrexham on Tuesday and came away empty-handed, dropping to sixth spot in the process as Steven Fletcher netted the only goal 17 minutes from time.
Having now fallen out of automatic promotion contention and seen their lead over seventh spot reduced to a single point, having played a game more than seventh-placed Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town's playoff hopes are reliant on a major improvement in the final 11 outings, and they will hope to get back to their best and record a crucial away victory on Saturday.
Team News
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Bristol Rovers will remain without midfielders Kamil Conteh and Romaine Sawyers and attacker Gatlin O'Donkor on Saturday, as they are still confined to the treatment room.
Promise Omochere has returned to contention after his own layoff though, making substitute appearances in the Gas' last two games, and he could earn a first start of 2025 in attack.
That may come alongside Ruel Sotiriou, with top scorer Isaac Hutchinson offering further attacking support ahead of the midfield pairing of Matt Butcher and Grant Ward.
Huddersfield Town continue to deal with an unenviable injury list, as defenders Matty Pearson, Radinio Balker, Tom Lees and Mickel Miller, midfielders David Kasumu and Herbie Kane and attackers Rhys Healey and Danny Ward could all remain sidelined, while Josh Koroma was forced off early in their midweek loss to Wrexham.
Centre-back Nigel Lonwijk was also withdrawn in that game but should be deemed fit to feature in the centre of a makeshift back three alongside Brodie Spencer and Josh Ruffels, while Ben Wiles should return from the outset to join Joe Hodge and Antony Evans in midfield.
With Koroma sidelined, January arrivals Dion Charles and Joe Taylor will compete to come into the attack from the start alongside Callum Marshall, who leads the squad with nine goals so far this season for the Terriers.
Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
J Ward; Wilson, Swinkels, Taylor; Hunt, G Ward, Butcher, Mola; Hutchinson; Sotiriou, Omochere
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Spencer, Lonwijk, Ruffels; Sorensen, Hodge, Evans, Roosken; Wiles; Taylor, Marshall
We say: Bristol Rovers 1-1 Huddersfield Town
Depleted by injuries and lacking confidence having seen their top-six standing weaken in the new year, we would not be surprised to see Huddersfield Town drop points again in Saturday's trip.
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Sam Varley
