High-flying Wycombe Wanderers will be bidding to return to winning ways in League One when they continue their campaign with a home fixture against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night.
The Blues are currently second in the League One table, nine points behind leaders Birmingham City, while Bristol Rovers are 17th, seven points clear of the relegation zone in the third tier of English football.
Match preview
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Wycombe boast a record of 17 wins, nine draws and four defeats from their 30 league matches this season, with a total of 60 points leaving them in second spot in the table, nine points off the leaders Birmingham, who have a game in hand.
Mike Dodds's side are only two points ahead of third-placed Wrexham in the race for automatic promotion, but they sit 10 clear of seventh-placed Charlton Athletic and are therefore in a strong position to at least make the playoffs.
The Blues were 10th in League One last season, so there has been a huge improvement this term, but their recent form has been slightly disappointing, only triumphing in one of their last five games in all competitions, including a 1-1 draw with Crawley Town on Saturday afternoon.
That said, Wycombe are unbeaten in League One since early January, and they have only lost two of their 14 home league fixtures during the 2024-25 campaign, picking up 28 points in the process.
Bristol Rovers, on the other hand, have one of the poorer away records in the division this term, only picking up 10 points from 15 matches, suffering 11 defeats in the process.
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Bristol Rovers have picked up seven points from their last three matches during a recent upturn, beating Peterborough United and Burton Albion either side of a home draw with Stockport County.
That strong run has allowed Inigo Calderon's side to move up the table in 17th spot, seven points clear of the relegation zone, while they are only three points behind 14th-placed Rotherham United.
The Pirates finished 15th in League One last season, so it is not too surprising to see them 17th at this stage, and their away form will have to improve if they are to move up the division in the coming months.
Bristol Rovers are on a six-game losing run against Wycombe in all competitions, including a 2-1 defeat in the reverse match back in September.
The Pirates have not actually managed to overcome Tuesday's opponents since August 2018, which is another indication of the size of their task against one of the best sides in the third tier of English football.
Team News
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Wycombe have not reported any fresh injury concerns from their clash with Crawley on Saturday afternoon, so it could be a case of same again in terms of the starting side for this contest.
Star striker Richard Kone has missed the team's last two matches with a knee problem, and the 21-year-old, who has 19 goals to his name this season, is again expected to be unavailable for selection here.
As a result, Daniel Udoh should continue through the middle, with the 28-year-old bidding to add to the seven goals that he has managed in all competitions during the 2024-25 campaign.
As for Bristol Rovers, Chris Martin is again expected to lead the line, with the experienced forward on three goals this season.
Isaac Hutchinson is actually the team's leading goalscorer with six, and the 24-year-old could now be introduced into the XI, having registered off the bench in the clash with Burton Albion on Saturday.
Scott Sinclair is also in line to make his 32nd appearance of the campaign, with the attacker still going strong at the age of 35.
Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Norris; Skura, Low, Bradley, Harvey; Leahy, Scone; McCleary, Humphreys, Onyedinma; Udoh
Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Ward; Hunt, Wilson, Taylor, Sousa; Ward, Butcher; Thomas, Hutchinson, Sinclair; Martin
We say: Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers deserve a lot of respect for their recent form, and the visitors are certainly capable of making this a very uncomfortable match for Wycombe. That said, the hosts will be able to call upon the greater quality, and we are expecting Dodds' side to pick up a much-needed three points on Tuesday night.
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Matt Law
