Preview:Bristol Rovers vs Plymouth Argyle - prediction, team news, lineups

Fighting to finish first in Southern Group B of the EFL Trophy, Bristol Rovers will welcome Plymouth Argyle to Memorial Stadium on Tuesday.

The Gas will be looking to recover from a defeat at the weekend, while the Pilgrims are desperate to stop the rot after a dire run in recent weeks.

Match preview

Darrell Clarke's Rovers may be in poor form overall, but they come into this clash unbeaten in the EFL Trophy and having already qualified for the round of 32.

The Gas earned two points following a stalemate and shootout with Tottenham Hotspur's Under-21s on August 28, before beating Cheltenham Town 1-0 last month, leaving them second in the group.

However, prior to Tuesday's showdown, Clarke's side were downed 1-0 on their own turf by Gillingham, marking the club's fourth defeat from their five most recent outings.

Losing on Saturday has Rovers 17th in League Two, where their tally of 17 points puts them already eight short of seventh-placed Crewe Alexandra.

Considering that the Pirates have also tasted defeat in each of their last five fourth-tier games, they will be looking for respite in this cup clash, as well as the potential boost that a rare win could bring.

That being said, if the hosts are to pull off such a feat, then they will need to tighten up at the back after conceding 14 goals in the month preceding this clash, not to mention the fact that they must also defy their disappointing home form that has seen them lose each of their last three at Memorial Stadium.

Meanwhile, Tom Cleverley's Plymouth are somehow in worse condition than their lower-tier opponents and are currently in the midst of a five-game losing run.

On Saturday, the Pilgrims followed up their 2-0 elimination from the FA Cup at the hands of Wycombe Wanderers by being beaten 3-1 on the road against Huddersfield Town.

That latest loss has Cleverley's men stuck at the bottom of the League One pile with only 13 points, though hope remains considering that they are only four points behind both 20th-placed Leyton Orient and 19th-placed Exeter City.

In a similar manner to Rovers, the EFL Trophy has served as a safe haven for Plymouth, who find themselves in the inverse position - first place - in Southern Group B, after downing Cheltenham 2-0 and battering Tottenham U21s 6-2 back in September.

Desperate to halt their shocking form with another cup triumph on Tuesday, fans of the visitors will be wary of the fact that the Pilgrims have lost their last four away games, and they may be concerned that both of their prior wins in this competition came at Home Park.

Bristol Rovers EFL Trophy form:

Bristol Rovers form (all competitions):

Plymouth Argyle EFL Trophy form:

Plymouth Argyle form (all competitions):

Team News

Rovers are likely to be without midfielder Josh McEachran once again, though Kamil Conten and Alfie Chang should be on hand to start in the centre of the park on Tuesday.

In the backline, Stephan Negru, Tom Lockyer and Clinton Mola could continue as a trio in order to develop their chemistry, and to that same end, Macauley Southam-Hales and Bryant Bilongo may line up as wing-backs.

Plymouth are missing six players through injury at the moment, though Xavier Amaechi and Joe Edwards are expected to be back before the end of 2025, while the likes of Caleb Watts are out until the new year.

Caleb Roberts, on the other hand, was taken off with an injury against Wycombe on November 1, but he made a late substitute appearance on Saturday and should be in contention to start this week.

If he does feature in Cleverley's XI, then he should be partnered by Bradley Ibrahim, with the pair flanked by Matthew Sorinola and Owen Dale.

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:

Southwood; Negru, Lockyer, Mola; Southam, Conteh, Chang, Bilongo; Forde, Sortiriou; Cavegn

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:

Hazard; Szucs, Ross, Mitchell; Dale, Roberts, Ibrahim, Sorinola; Mumba, Paterson; Tolaj

We say: Bristol Rovers 1-0 Plymouth Argyle

Both sides have been poor in recent weeks but having previously found success in this competition, they will be hoping for a positive result in midweek.

Regardless of the outcome, expect to see a low-scoring game considering that Rovers have scored once in their last three home games, while Plymouth have netted the same number from their four most recent away clashes.

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