Fresh off the dismissal of manager Michael Appleton, Blackpool will welcome Huddersfield Town to Bloomfield Road on Saturday for an important contest at the bottom end of the Championship table.
The two teams find themselves level on points in 23rd and 22nd spots respectively, with both sitting three points adrift of safety, while the hosts begin their search for a new boss in their bid to survive the drop.
Match preview
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Blackpool head into the weekend with Michael Appleton, who was appointed as manager at the beginning of the season, no longer at the helm, after he was dismissed on Thursday with the Tangerines sat in the relegation zone with 26 points on the board from their opening 27 Championship outings.
The Tangerines went into the World Cup break on the back of four straight defeats, and they have been unable to bounce back to winning ways in the second tier in six attempts since, although they did at least manage three draws in a row on their return to action, taking points from contests with Birmingham City, Cardiff City and Hull City.
Aiming to build on those results and put an important victory on the board, the Lancashire outfit then hosted Sheffield United after Christmas and fell to a 2-1 defeat, before being held to a draw by Sunderland and pulling off a 4-1 beating of top-flight Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round as Marvin Ekpiteta, Ian Poveda, CJ Hamilton and Jerry Yates all got on the scoresheet in their first triumph since October.
With renewed confidence from that victory and the need for three points to move closer to safety, Blackpool faced the tough test of a trip to Watford last weekend, and after the game remained goalless for 70 minutes, the hosts eventually went ahead through Tobi Adeyemo, before Ismaila Sarr doubled the lead late on and condemned the Tangerines to a 13th league defeat of the campaign.
Such a result spelled the end of Appleton's tenure, and sitting level on points with their opponents and three points adrift of safety, they will be desperate to make a much-needed return to winning ways while searching for a new boss to take over at Bloomfield Road.
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Their visitors will also be hoping to bridge the gap to safety, having improved their position in the fight for survival since the return to action in December.
Mark Fotheringham's side amassed just 19 points from their opening 20 matches prior to league action being put on hold, and they did not initially return in fine form either, suffering defeats at the hands of Sheffield United and Watford in their first games back.
The Yorkshire side would then bounce back, firstly scoring a sixth Championship win of the season in a 2-1 triumph away at Preston North End thanks to goals in the final 15 minutes from Jordan Rhodes and Kaine Kesler-Hayden, before making it two on the bounce by beating Rotherham United 2-0, with Rhodes again on the scoresheet alongside Duane Holmes.
Fotheringham's men would then suffer a setback, falling to a narrow 2-1 defeat at home to Luton Town and dropping out of the FA Cup at the hands of Preston North End, and in their return to league action away at rivals Hull City at the weekend, they looked set to win 1-0 thanks to Michal Helik's first-half goal, only to be pegged back by an Oscar Estupinan equaliser deep into injury time.
Left wounded by that late leveller, with the gap to Cardiff City standing at three points, Huddersfield Town will aim to bounce back on Saturday when they travel to a fellow side fighting to avoid the drop.
Team News
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Blackpool should call attacker Jerry Yates, who has netted nine Championship goals so far this season, back in from the outset to lead the line on Saturday alongside Gary Madine, after he was reduced to a substitute appearance at Watford.
There is competition for spots on the flanks, with Josh Bowler again likely to start having rejoined on loan from Nottingham Forest after departing at the beginning of the season, while the likes of Morgan Rogers, CJ Hamilton and Shayne Lavery will battle to feature on the other flank, as should Ian Poveda if he returns to contention in time after missing the Watford trip.
Key defender Marvin Ekpiteta was forced off with a suspected hamstring issue in that match, and in his expected absence, Callum Connolly could move across and join Jordan Thorniley in the middle of a back four, although Liverpool loanee Rhys Williams will also be vying to start at centre-back.
Huddersfield Town still have several injuries to contend with, as Yuta Nakayama, Oliver Turton, Loick Ayina and Tino Anjorin remain on the sidelines, while first-choice goalkeeper Lee Nicholls is set to face a long layoff of his own, with Nicholas Bilokapic likely to deputise between the sticks.
In the absence of Turton and Nakayama, January loan signing Matt Lowton is again bound to feature on the right flank, with fellow new arrivals Florian Kamberi and Martyn Waghorn also pushing for starts in attack, while winger Anthony Knockaert may not yet be ready to make a first appearance following his loan switch from Fulham.
Jordan Rhodes will hope to keep his place at the top end of the pitch amidst new competition, having hit five Championship goals so far this season, while Duane Holmes and Jack Rudoni are again expected to be given the nod behind a lone frontman.
Blackpool possible starting lineup:
Maxwell; Lyons, Connolly, Thorniley, Husband; Bowler, Carey, Patino, Hamilton; Madine, Yates
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Bilokapic; Lees, Helik, Pearson; Lowton, Hogg, High, Ruffels; Rudoni, Holmes; Rhodes
We say: Blackpool 2-1 Huddersfield Town
Blackpool come into Saturday's crucial meeting in poor form, but a change in management can often inspire an upturn in form, and they will see Saturday as as good of an opportunity as ever to return to winning ways.
With plenty of attacking quality on show and an expected boost in the camp, we fancy the Tangerines to end their long wait for a league win at the weekend and take all three points.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
