Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s EFL Trophy clash between Cheltenham Town and Bristol Rovers, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Fresh from securing just their second league win of the season, Cheltenham Town will be hoping to gain some momentum, when they host Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night.
Steve Cotterill celebrated a triumphant return to Cheltenham Town when his side beat Fleetwood Town 2-0, while Bristol Rovers were beaten 2-1 by Walsall last time out.
Match preview
Following the dismissal of former manager Michael Flynn, Cheltenham Town rehired Cotterill, who guided the Robins to three promotions between 1997 and 2002.
After three straight losses, Cheltenham’s second win, and second clean sheet of the league campaign, saw the team move out of the League Two drop zone.
Two goals in the space of three minutes from Isaac Hutchinson and Josh Martin made sure Cotterill got off to a winning start.
Just two points clear of last-placed Newport County and suffering a 2-0 loss to Plymouth Argyle in their EFL Trophy opener, they will be hoping that a first tournament win of the season can mark the start of a run that will help them climb the League Two table.
As for Bristol Rovers, they have also enjoyed the return of a former manager in Darrell Clarke.
Replacing Inigo Calderon after their relegation to League Two, Clarke returned to the Memorial Stadium after seven years away.
Although the return to Rovers did not start brilliantly, needing six games to find their first win, they have since gone on a run that has seen the Bristol-based club pick up five wins in their last seven.
Unlike Cheltenham Town, Bristol Rovers were able to get off to a winning start in the EFL Trophy, beating Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-21s on penalties.
The Gas are unbeaten in their last six games against Cheltenham Town and will look to extend their impressive head-to-head record on Tuesday night.
Cheltenham Town EFL Trophy form:
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Cheltenham Town form (all competitions):
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Bristol Rovers EFL Trophy form:
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Bristol Rovers form (all competitions):
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Team News
Cheltenham Town will be without skipper Scot Bennett, who was sent off against Plymouth in their EFL Trophy opener.
Although under a different manager, Cheltenham Town opted to rest first-choice keeper Joe Day in their only other EFL Trophy game.
Should Cotterill want to do the same, expect Mamadou Diallo to return to the team and start in goal.
Already changing the formation from what Michael Flynn and interim manager Aaron Downes decided to play, Cotterill will likely stick with the 4-3-3 lineup that has served him well so far.
For Bristol Rovers, Ryan Howley is still likely to miss the trip to Cheltenham, due to an injury that has sidelined him since August.
Striker Shaq Forde picked up a hamstring injury in pre-season and has yet to feature once all term, and although he has returned to training, it is unlikely he plays on Tuesday night.
Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:
Diallo; Jude-Boyd, Sherring, Barber, Harmon; Young, Backwell, Hutchinson; Martin, Bickerstaff, Archer
Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Young; Senior, Moore, Mola, Biongo; Chang, Cotterill, McEachran, Thomas; Harrison, Dewsbury
We say: Cheltenham Town 1-1 Bristol Rovers
With both sides thriving under new management, it will be intriguing to see how seriously Cheltenham approach the EFL Trophy, with League Two survival remaining the priority.
Bristol Rovers, meanwhile, will be looking to continue their impressive run of form. We expect a tightly-contested cup tie, with the game likely heading to penalties after a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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