Preview: Barnsley vs Fleetwood Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Dreaming of a run in the EFL Cup, League One Barnsley are set to face League Two's Fleetwood Town at Oakwell on Wednesday for their first-round tie.

The Tykes could make it three wins on the bounce this week, while the Fishermen are looking for a sixth straight victory.

Match preview

Former Barnsley captain Conor Hourihane took charge of the club on an interim basis back in March after Darrell Clarke was sacked following a dire spell of seven defeats from 11 matches, and he guided them to a 12th-placed finish in 2024-25's third tier.

Beginning his first full term as permanent manager, the Irish boss has enjoyed a 100% start in the league, and he will have his sights set on promotion to the Championship this time around.

On Saturday, the Tykes followed up their 3-1 win against Plymouth Argyle by beating Burton Albion 3-2, and the team showed great character to fight back from two goals down to snatch all three points when David McGoldrick netted a stoppage-time winner.

Turning their attention to the cup, Barnsley fans may have doubts about their chances despite back-to-back victories ahead of this clash, due in large part to their home record that includes three losses, two draws and just two wins from their last seven games at Oakwell.

Additionally, the Tykes have been defensively porous in recent months, and the fact that they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their 16 most recent matches does not bode well for Wednesday's knockout tie.

Meanwhile, Pete Wild's Fleetwood finished a comfortable 28 points clear of the relegation zone last term, but also 10 short of the playoffs, and a cup run could inspire them to take the next step in 2025-26.

This past Saturday, the Fishermen continued their perfect start to the season by beating Bristol Rovers 2-1 at Highbury Stadium thanks to a first-half brace from Will Davies.

That victory has Wild's men second in the League Two table, only behind first-placed Crewe Alexandra by one goal difference.

However, while the visitors have begun their fourth-tier campaign in fine form, they have won just one of their four most recent competitive away matches, and supporters will be concerned ahead of their cup trip to Oakwell.

To make matters worse, Fleetwood have not triumphed in any of their last seven games against Barnsley, losing six times and drawing once since their 1-0 win back in 2015, and it would come as a shock if the Fishermen were to progress against their higher-division opponents.

Barnsley form (all competitions):

Fleetwood Town form (all competitions):

Team News

Barnsley could be without centre-back Marc Roberts once again after he picked up an injury against Plymouth, and Mael de Gevigney should start alongside Josh Earl at the heart of the defence on Wednesday.

The Tykes are likely to change things up for this EFL Cup clash, so expect to see midfielder Jon Russell come into the XI for captain Luca Connell, who could get a rare rest.

Up top, match-winning striker David McGoldrick could make way for Reyes Cleary, and he may be backed up by Caylan Vickers and Davis Keillor-Dunn out wide.

As for Fleetwood, they will be missing right-sided defender Toby Mullarkey after he was substituted off with an injury last time out, so Finley Potter should be part of a back three alongside James Bolton and Zech Medley.

Elsewhere, James Norwood and Ched Evans will be vying for a start in the place of Wild's usual strike partnership of Ryan Graydon and Will Davies.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Mahoney; Bland, Gevigney, Earl, Ogbeta; Russell, Yoganathan; Vickers, Phillips, Keillor-Dunn; Cleary

Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:

Lynch; Potter, Bolton, Medley; Rooney, Bonds, Neal, Hume; Helm; Evans, Norwood

We say: Barnsley 2-1 Fleetwood Town

Barnsley have made a strong start to the 2025-26 season, and given their six-game unbeaten streak against Fleetwood, they will be expecting to make it through on Wednesday.

That being said, the Tykes have struggled for clean sheets in recent months, so the Fishermen are likely to score at least once.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.