Preview: Forest Green Rovers vs. Wrexham - prediction, team news, lineups

The match should have been played in December, but heavy rainfall the night before the encounter meant it had to be rescheduled.

Match preview

Second-bottom Forest Green host promotion-chasing Wrexham, keen to secure their third win in four when they host the Welsh outfit this week.

Steve Cotterill has masterminded recent victories over Barrow and Tranmere Rovers, securing the relegation-threatened side wins after nearly four months.

Cotterill being the club's third head coach in a season that has seen David Horseman and Troy Deeney lose their jobs is a credit to the 59-year-old, whose impact gives Rovers hope of escaping the bottom two in the season's final months.

The Greens are four points behind 22nd-placed Grimsby, having played a game more than the club they chase, but are five behind a Colchester United outfit on the same number of games — 33.

Winning on Tuesday adds credibility to what Cotterill has done since his January appointment, giving the home side hope of avoiding back-to-back relegations following last year's League One disappointment.

As for Wrexham, the wheels have seemingly come off in 2024, with the Welsh outfit winning just two of their previous seven League Two fixtures, having claimed maximum points in seven of the preceding 10 (two defeats).

Those results have seen the Robins fall out of the automatic promotion places, but victory on Tuesday takes them into third ahead of Crewe Alexandra.

Phil Parkinson's men head into the midweek game after picking one point from six, with Saturday's 1-0 loss at Gillingham the away side's eighth of 2023-24.

They seek a response to the ongoing wobble, even if the visitors may privately wish this fixture was played when it was initially scheduled in December when Rovers were struggling.

With the home side in seemingly fine fettle, a victory is far from guaranteed for the fourth-placed team, whose ambition to move up the divisions has hit a snag in 2024.

Forest Green Rovers League Two form:

L

D

L

W

L

W

Wrexham League Two form:

L

L

W

W

D

L

Team News

Ryan Inniss is suspended for Forest Green after a second yellow in the 1-0 win over Tranmere rules out the suspended defender against Wrexham.

Emmanuel Osadebe and Charlie McCann, who have netted match-winning goals under Cotterill, should start on Tuesday.

The away side have William Boyle available for selection again after serving a one-game ban for a second bookable offence two games back.

Among Wrexham's forwards, only Steven Fletcher has netted in the last three games, underscoring the goalscoring bugbear the promotion contenders have had.

Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:

Reyes; Johnson, Keogh, Moore-Taylor; Thompson, McCann, Bunker, Robson; Osadebe; Doidge, McAllister

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Bolton, Cleworth, O'Connell, Boyle, Mendy; McClean, Cannon, Lee; Fletcher, Mullin

We say: Forest Green Rovers 2-1 Wrexham

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