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

The hosts return to league action after a 3-0 EFL Cup exit at the hands of Leicester City, while the visitors will be looking to recover from a 4-0 thrashing at Derby County.

Match preview

It's been a chaotic few weeks for MK Dons, who have finally appointed Mark Jackson as their new permanent boss, following the dismissal of Liam Manning in early December.

Club captain Dean Lewington, who has made an astonishing 754 appearances for the Dons, had been managing the side on an interim basis, but hamstring surgery meant that the player/caretaker boss had to be replaced by another player/caretaker boss, former Norwich City midfielder Bradley Johnson, in midweek.

Having now brought in Leeds United first-team coach Jackson, the side from Milton Keynes will be hoping to find some consistency, to ease away from the relegation scrap.

The Dons finished third in League One last season, losing their play-off semi-final tie with Wycombe Wanderers, but currently find themselves in 22nd, with just two wins in their last 12 league outings.

Even with the worst home record in the division, the hosts will be targeting the visit of fellow strugglers as a fantastic opportunity for the new boss to start with a win.

Forest Green, on the other hand, are enjoying their first ever season in the third tier of English football, fighting hard to keep themselves in the division.

Despite last weekend's heavy defeat to Derby, the Green have recorded two vital wins in December, including a 2-1 victory over Cheltenham Town after a 93rd-minute spot-kick from former Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham.

Having conceded 43 goals so far this campaign, Ian Burchnall's men face two relegation crunch matches before the year is out, taking on both MK Dons and Burton Albion within the space of three days - two of the three sides who currently sit below them in the table.

Avoid defeat on their travels on Boxing Day, and they will be confident that they can kick on.

MK Dons League One form:

D

L

L

D

L

W

MK Dons form (all competitions):

L

D

L

L

W

L

Forest Green Rovers League One form:

L

L

D

W

W

L

Forest Green Rovers form (all competitions):

D

L

W

W

W

L

Team News

The hosts made two changes for the visit of Leicester in midweek, but could revert to a similar lineup that won at Portsmouth the previous weekend.

Johnson should rejoin Josh McEachran in the midfield after his stint as the manager, while Mohamed Eisa could make way for Nathan Holland.

Forest Green are facing illness issues, with Sean Robertson and Wickham both taking time off to recover.

Last season's 23-goal striker Mathew Stevens is back in training after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury back in April, while key defender Udoka Godwin-Malife played his first minutes after four months off last weekend. Both could be impact substitutes from the bench.

MK Dons possible starting lineup:

Cumming; Harvie, Jules, O'Hora, Tucker, Watson; Johnson, McEachran; Grant, Grigg, Holland

Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:

McGee; Boyes, Cargill, Casey, Bernard, O'Keeffe; McGeouch, Stevenson, Peart-Harris; March, Matt

We say: MK Dons 1-1 Forest Green Rovers

The side with just one home win this season welcomes visitors with just one win on the road, so we are expecting this to be a tight and cagey relegation scrap.

Optimism is high for the arrival of a promising new coach for the Dons, but Forest Green's two wins in their last three proves that they are up for the fight, and that they should be able to secure at least a point.

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