Preview: Bristol Rovers vs. Cheltenham Town - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts are in 11th place in the league standings with 24 points after 18 matches, while the visitors are in all sorts of trouble, currently at the foot of the table and six points from safety.

Match preview

Bristol Rovers come into this match in need of a victory following a 2-1 loss to Crawley Town in the EFL Trophy, though that was their first defeat of the competition, and they are still in contention to make the next round.

However, that result did mark their third consecutive match without victory in all competitions, following a 2-1 loss to Derby County and a 1-1 draw against Leyton Orient at the end of last month.

Against the Os, The Pirates took the lead before the break through Grant Ward and were arguably a little unlucky not to have taken all three points as Tristan Crama scored an own goal, handing their opponents a share of the spoils.

Bristol announced the arrival of former Rotherham United and Exeter City boss Matt Taylor as their new manager on December 1, and the 41-year-old will be keen to get his first win under his belt in this one after a loss in his first outing in midweek.

Meanwhile, Cheltenham Town faced a grim situation in early October, finding themselves at the bottom of the League One table and with only one point after a 2-0 home defeat to Fleetwood Town.

Just a few days later, Darrell Clarke's team showed their capability by securing a 1-1 draw against Paul Warne's Derby County at Whaddon Road and reminded the teams around them that they could compete with strong opponents in the third tier on their day.

On October 21, The Robins clinched their first win of the season by defeating Cambridge United with a lone goal from Liam Sercombe.

However, despite the recent uptick in performance, Cheltenham are still in a precarious position, facing the challenge of climbing out of the relegation zone, which will be no easy feat with four teams set to be relegated from League One.

Nevertheless, there has been enough in their recent performances to suggest that The Robins are a long way from throwing in the towel this season, and it would not be a huge shock if we saw them narrow the gap to safety over the festive period.

Bristol Rovers League One form:

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L

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Bristol Rovers form (all competitions):

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L

D

L

Cheltenham Town League One form:

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L

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D

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L

Cheltenham Town form (all competitions):

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D

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L

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Team News

Bristol Rovers midfielder Luke McCormick and right-back Luca Hoole are on the verge of making a comeback to the team after recovering from ankle injuries, but this match may have come a week too soon for them.

Lewis Gordon is sidelined due to a hamstring injury suffered in Tuesday's EFL Trophy defeat at Crawley Town, and George Friend is also out, which leaves Bristol quite short at left-back.

The visitors will remain without Rob Street, who received a three-match ban for violent conduct after being sent off against Oxford United, and he will sit out the second game of his suspension in this match.

However, Ben Williams will be eligible to return to the starting 11 after serving his one-match ban for an accumulation of yellow cards in their 2-1 loss to Charlton Athletic.

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:

Cox; Grant, Taylor, Wilson, Harvey; Evans, Finley, Thomas, Brown, Vale; Collins

Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:

Southwood; Bevan, Davies, Williams; Long, Chapman, Lloyd, Sercombe, Ferry; Keena, Goodwin

We say: Bristol Rovers 2-1 Cheltenham Town

Bristol Rovers have already fallen a spot in the league standings in recent weeks, but they will be confident here as they return to their home patch, where they are carrying a six-match unbeaten streak. While the visitors have shown signs of life in recent weeks, we feel that The Pirates will edge this one by the odd goal.

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