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

Neither side have won their last two games in League One, with the hosts sitting seven points behind their forthcoming opponents in the table.

Match preview

However, the Gas would rightly point to the fact that they have two games in hand on Stevenage, as well as possessing one game in hand on each of the four sides directly above them in the table.

Joey Barton's side have been a little Jekkyl and Hyde in recent weeks, beating Wigan Athletic and Port Vale on home soil, but losing away to Peterborough United, Oxford United and Burton Albion.

As has often been the case since Barton took charge in February 2021, with the former Newcastle United midfielder guiding them to promotion from League Two in his first full season in charge, Bristol Rovers retain a potent offensive threat while leaking a few too many goals to be considered anything close to the finished article just yet.

Barton and his players will be grateful to be returning to Memorial Stadium in midweek, but they will not be taking anything for granted against Stevenage, who have adapted to life in the third tier similarly well.

Indeed, few people would have foreseen Stevenage sitting inside League One's play-off positions after playing 14 matches, with this being their first season competing in the third tier since 2014.

That said, no one should be underestimating Steve Evans anymore, with the 60-year-old continuing to deliver excellent results regardless of how many people feel about him as an individual. Like his forthcoming counterpart, Evans defied the odds to guide Stevenage to promotion in his first full season in charge of the club.

The Boro clearly have no intentions of simply making up the numbers at this level, though, having flown out of the traps with five wins and three draws from their opening nine league games. Three defeats from five have since followed, but they remained inside top six by drawing 0-0 against Port Vale at the weekend.

Evans and his players will fancy their chances of returning to goalscoring ways when they meet Bristol Rovers in midweek, but only a victory would be enough to guarantee preserving their status inside the play-off spots for another matchday.

Bristol Rovers League One form:

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Bristol Rovers form (all competitions):

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W

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Stevenage League One form:

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W

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D

Stevenage form (all competitions):

L

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W

L

L

D

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Team News

Bristol Rovers will have to replace Ryan Woods, who was shown a straight red card during their 4-1 defeat to Burton on Saturday. The midfielder, who is on loan from Hull City, will serve a three match suspension from Tuesday onwards.

Sam Finley is likely to replace him in the hosts' engine room, while Barton may contemplate restoring John Marquis to his offensive unit after only using the former Portsmouth striker from the bench last time out.

Stevenage, meanwhile, are unlikely to make many changes despite their recent drop in form, with Evans likely to be content with what he saw from his side's draw against Port Vale.

However, Elliot List and Louis Thompson provide two intriguing options to come into the visitors' starting XI, after the pair were only introduced from the bench last time out.

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:

Cox; Gibbons, Taylor, Grant, Vale; Evans, Finley, Ward; Sinclair, Marquis, Collins

Stevenage possible starting lineup:

Ashby-Hammond; Smith, Wildin, Thompson, Piergianni, Butler; Thompson, Freeman, Forster-Caskey; List, Reid

We say: Bristol Rovers 1-1 Stevenage

Neither team heads into this contest in strong form, but it should be an interesting contrast in styles nonetheless.

Evans and Barton are likely to provide plenty of entertainment on the sidelines, and they will be expecting their players to display similar levels of intensity. We can envisage a score draw.

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