Huddersfieldvs.Mansfield

With seven games remaining, the hosts have dropped two points behind the top six in the League One table, while their visitors fell to 17th spot last time out.

Match preview

Huddersfield Town return to action on Saturday aiming to reignite their League One playoff bid, having fallen out of the top six following consecutive defeats.

Jon Worthington took temporary charge of the Yorkshire outfit for the second time in early March following the departure of Michael Duff, as they had fallen out of the automatic promotion race down to seventh spot following a poor run early in the new year.

Indeed, in Duff's final 11 league games at the helm, the Terriers earned just three victories and 11 points, but Worthington was able to inspire a return to winning ways in his first game in the hot seat, as they dished out a 5-1 thrashing to strugglers Crawley Town at the John Smith's Stadium.

After briefly returning to sixth spot thanks to that win, they have failed to build on the result since, now heading into the weekend on the back of another pair of defeats, firstly falling to a 4-0 beating away at Charlton Athletic last weekend before Reeco Hackett-Fairchild netted the only goal in a 1-0 home win in Tuesday's trip to Lincoln City.

Now sitting eighth in England's third tier and two points behind sixth-placed Bolton Wanderers with seven games remaining, Huddersfield Town will be desperate to get back to winning ways on home turf on Saturday to strengthen their claim for a playoff spot.

Their visitors make the trip to West Yorkshire in search of a return to winning ways of their own, having seen an improved run halted in midweek.

Following a pleasing first half to their first season back in England's second tier since 2003, the new year started poorly for Mansfield Town, who went 13 league games unbeaten between early January and mid-March, earning just four points along the way.

After that rut culminated in a 2-0 defeat to Exeter City, Nigel Clough's side were finally able to end their wait for a 12th third-tier win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Barnsley, before making it back-to-back three-point hauls by beating Bristol Rovers by the same scoreline last weekend thanks to goals from Caylan Vickers and Dom Dwyer.

A tough test at home to fourth-placed Charlton Athletic then followed on Tuesday, and after drawing level at a goal apiece through Matthew Craig before the interval, the Stags eventually came away empty-handed as Tyreece Campbell restored the visitors' lead and sealed a 2-1 away win 16 minutes from time.

Having dropped back down to 17th spot following that setback, but only trailing three sides by a single point and 13th-placed Stevenage by two points with seven games remaining, Mansfield Town will aim to rebound with a second straight away win on Saturday to improve their standing in the bottom half.

Huddersfield Town League One form:

W

L

L

W

L

L

Mansfield Town League One form:

D

D

L

W

W

L

Team News

Huddersfield Town remain hit by injuries heading into the weekend, with defenders Nigel Lonwijk, Tom Lees and Mickel Miller, midfielder Herbie Kane and attackers Dion Charles, Danny Ward and Rhys Healey set to miss out again.

David Kasumu was fit to start in the midfield last time out after his long injury layoff, though, and he should continue alongside Ben Wiles and either Jonathan Hogg, Joe Hodge or Antony Evans.

Josh Koroma has also returned to full fitness and will hope to again join Joe Taylor and top scorer Callum Marshall in attack.

Mansfield Town also head into the weekend with several enforced absences, as forwards Lee Gregory and Rhys Oates remain sidelined alongside Elliott Hewitt, Calum MacDonald, George Maris and George Williams.

Dom Dwyer also missed the midweek defeat to Charlton, but there is still attacking competition with Ben Waine and Will Evans, who leads the squad with 11 goals this term, competing to displace Jordan Rhodes and Caylan Vickers.

Elsewhere, Jordan Bowery should continue to join Deji Oshilaja and Baily Cargill in a back three, while Keanu Baccus and Hiram Boateng will compete for midfield spots after Matthew Craig, Louis Reed and Aaron Lewis were preferred on Tuesday.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:

Nicholls; Turton, Pearson, Balker, Ruffels; Wiles, Hodge, Kasumu; Marshall, Taylor, Koroma

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:

Pym; Bowery, Oshilaja, Cargill; Akins, Baccus, Reed, Craig, McLaughlin; Rhodes, Vickers

We say: Huddersfield Town 2-1 Mansfield Town

Written by

Sam Varley

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