Preview: Charlton Athletic vs Bristol City - prediction, team news, lineups

Returning to Championship action after the international break, Charlton Athletic and Bristol City meet on Good Friday with both sides positioned in the bottom half of the table and separated by just three points.

The Addicks head into the contest following a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to Norwich City, while the visitors arrive under new management after a fourth loss in five matches saw Gerhard Struber depart and 78-year-old Roy Hodgson appointed as his successor.

Match preview

After securing promotion via the League One playoffs last season, Charlton’s primary aim was to preserve their second-tier status, and with seven games remaining, they appear well on course to achieve that objective.

With seven games to go, Nathan Jones' side are very much on course to reach their pre-season targets and now come into Good Friday's clash nine points above the relegation zone, with recent form in March helping to ease concerns ahead of the run-in.

Back-to-back 1-0 wins over Birmingham City and Middlesbrough were followed by a late equaliser away at Oxford United, lifting them further away from danger and allowing them to glance up the table rather than over their shoulders.

However, the Addicks failed to make it four unbeaten after going behind early against Norwich City and were unable to find any attacking power to get them out of trouble. 

Despite that, their run of closely fought games has highlighted their strong defensive unit that has helped guide them away from the bottom three. 

Jones’s men have conceded just 46 goals this season, a record bettered by only Stoke City in the bottom half and placing them among the more organised teams defensively across the league.

© Imago

As for Bristol City, they come into their 40th league outing of the season on the back of producing one of the most surprising football stories of the week. 

Following a 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion, Struber was relieved of his duties, with experienced coach Hodgson brought in on a short-term basis until the end of the campaign.

The ex-Liverpool and England boss has been retired and out of the game for over two years but believed the offer to take charge of seven Bristol City games was too good to turn down, returning to the South West side 44 years after being their manager once before. 

Hodgson takes over a side currently sitting 16th in the table and largely clear of immediate relegation danger, but with recent form remaining a concern.

The Robins have lost any hope of a successive playoff finish and have lost four of their last five, a run that leaves them closer to the bottom three than the top six. 

The first task will be overcoming the tricky Good Friday encounter before returning to Ashton Gate next Monday to take on Chris Wilder's Sheffield United.

The pair lock horns for the second time this season following a goalless draw back in August that produced just three shots on target between the two sides.

Charlton Athletic Championship form:

D L W W D L 

Bristol City Championship form:

Bristol City form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago / IMAGO / Focus Images

Jones may consider changes after the defeat prior to the international break, despite having no new injury concerns to contend with.

Conor Coady and Charlie Kelman are both pushing for starts after starting on the bench last time out, particularly given that they have scored Charlton’s most recent goals.

Lyndon Dykes missed the trip to Oxford but returned for the their defeat against Norwich City, expect him to lead the line once again. 

First-choice keeper Thomas Kaminski has seemingly lost his place in the side since his injury and is expected to remain on the bench while Will Mannion continues to impress in goal.

Hodgson was apparently unaware of the level of injury crisis at his new club and may have to rethink his first starting XI back in the dugout. 

Injuries to centre-back pair Rob Atkinson and Rob Dickie were the two that caught him off guard the most and it is likely he will be without them both during his seven games in charge.

Jason Knight started in the backline against the Baggies and has since suffered World Cup heartbreak with the Republic of Ireland, expect the Robins captain to keep his spot in the lineup with Emil Riis leading the line for Bristol City. 

Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:

Mannion; Ramsay, Coady, Bell; H. Clarke, Carey, Coventry, Docherty, Chambers; Dykes, Kelman

Bristol City possible starting lineup:

Vitek; Eile, Knight, N. Borges; Sykes, Randell, Bird, McCrorie; Horvat, Riis, Twine

We say: Charlton Athletic 1-2 Bristol City

Both sides approach this fixture with safety within reach, but with form and confidence still in question.

We expect a closely fought contest, with the Robins benefiting from a ‘new manager bounce’ to secure their first league win in six matches.

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