Preview: Bristol Rovers vs Peterborough United - prediction, team news, lineups

Bristol Rovers and Peterborough United begin their 2026-27 campaigns when they meet in the opening round of the EFL Cup at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Pirates, led by Steve Evans, finished last season in excellent form and will hope to carry that momentum into the new campaign, while Peterborough return from a pre-season tour of Spain aiming to put a disappointing League One finish behind them.

Match preview

Despite finishing 14th in League Two last season, Bristol Rovers ended the campaign in remarkable fashion, winning eight consecutive matches before drawing with eventual playoff winners Notts County on the final day.

The impressive run ultimately came too late to mount a serious playoff challenge, however, with the Gas finishing 16 points adrift of Grimsby Town who occupied seventh place.

Even so, there is growing optimism around the Memorial Stadium and, following the arrivals of Jack Aitchison, Bobby Kamwa and Ciaran Kelly, Rovers will be hoping to challenge much higher up the table this season.

The Pirates will, however, have to cope without several important players, including Josh McEachran, Tom Lockyer and Joel Senior, and Evans will be hoping his summer additions can help fill those voids.

A productive pre-season has offered encouragement, but tightening up defensively will remain a priority after the Pirates conceded 65 league goals last season, while only five teams suffered more defeats, highlighting the improvements still needed if they are to challenge higher up the table.

As for Peterborough United, they travel to Bristol as favourites given they remain a division above their opponents, although they too will be hoping for a significant improvement after a disappointing campaign.

The Posh finished 18th in League One last season after recording 15 wins, eight draws and 23 defeats, ending the campaign just four points clear of the dreaded relegation zone.

Luke Williams replaced Darren Ferguson in October with the club rock bottom, and an impressive start under the new boss quickly lifted Peterborough into mid-table, with the playoffs even briefly coming into the picture.

That momentum proved difficult to sustain, however, as the Posh won just one of their final 15 league matches, leaving their early improvement under Williams as the sole reason they retained their League One status.

Eight players have departed the Weston Homes Stadium this summer, while Harrison Jones, Thomas O'Connor and Owura Edwards are among those brought in as Peterborough attempt to build a squad capable of challenging for a return back to the Championship for the first time since 2022.

Both clubs will begin their league campaigns away from home next weekend, with Bristol Rovers travelling to newly-promoted York City, while Peterborough face Bradford City.

Bristol Rovers pre-season form:

Peterborough United pre-season form:

Team News

With league action still over a week away, neither manager is expected to name a full-strength side, while both squads continue to deal with several injury concerns.

Promise Omochere and Ryan Howley missed Bristol Rovers' tour of Scotland due to injury, with both players staying south of the border, while Jack Sparkes and Mees Rijks have also endured disrupted pre-season campaigns and are unlikely to feature on Saturday.

As for the Posh, they start the season with good and bad news on the injury front.

Centre-backs Tom O'Connor and Sam Hughes have been unavailable since January of this year and April 2025 respectively, although Williams confirmed last week that both are "close" to making their returns.

Matthew Garbett, who featured for New Zealand against England in their World Cup warm-up fixture, suffered a devastating hamstring injury before the tournament and remains unavailable.

Rio Adebisi has endured a torrid injury-hit spell since joining the club, playing just 12 minutes across two seasons, and Saturday's clash will come too soon for the defender.

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:

Young; James, Moore, Mola, Kelly; Forde, Smallwood, De Havilland, Kamwa; Cavegn; Quigley

Peterborough United possible starting lineup:

Bass; Dornelly, Hughes, Okagbue, Weir; Khela, O'Brien-Brady; Shofowoke, Conn-Clarke, Edwards; Leonard

We say: Bristol Rovers 1-2 Peterborough United

Although early-season cup ties often produce surprise results, Peterborough's superior quality and League One experience should prove decisive and avoid any cup upset here.

We expect the Posh to make a winning start to the new campaign and progress into the second round of the EFL Cup.

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