Preview: Burnley vs. Mansfield Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh from a stunning 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in Premier League action, Burnley welcome Mansfield Town to Turf Moor in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Scott Parker’s men trailed 2-0 at Selhurst Park but turned the game on its head before the interval, and the Clarets will seek to build on that momentum by eliminating their League One opponents.

Match preview

Burnley’s already fading hopes of Premier League survival looked even bleaker when they fell two goals behind in South London, as a Jorgen Strand Larsen brace put the Eagles in a seemingly unassailable position after 33 minutes.

What followed was truly stunning: the Clarets struck not once or twice, but three times, with Hannibal Mejbri and Jaidon Anthony scoring before Jefferson Lerma put through his own net to complete the first-half turnaround.

Even if the second-bottom Clarets remain nine points from safety, the momentum from that victory could provide the fillip needed to lift the Lancashire outfit in the final third of the campaign as they seek to avoid an immediate relegation from the top flight.

Turning their focus to domestic cup action, Parker will hope for a deep run alongside their fight for survival to make the most of a season that has brought little cheer in the Premier League.

Aiming to match last year’s run to the fifth round, the hosts, who have beaten Mansfield in their previous six meetings by an aggregate score of 13-1, are targeting another win over the third-tier side after eliminating Championship outfit Millwall in the third round.

Although those previous meetings date back to 1978, with the last of the six encounters coming in 2004, the Stags head into Saturday’s fixture as rank underdogs despite Burnley’s top-flight struggles.

Nigel Clough’s team are not helped by a five-match winless run heading into the encounter, even if four of those fixtures ended in draws.

The bigger concern has been the drop-off in goals scored, with the Nottinghamshire outfit having netted three or more in four of their five consecutive victories across all competitions — including a rip-roaring 4-3 win over Sheffield United in the third round — only for that efficiency to dip since beating Port Vale in League One in mid-January.

Since that 3-0 victory, Clough’s team have not scored more than once in any of their last five matches, firing blanks in draws with Wycombe Wanderers and Exeter City, scoring once in draws with Stevenage and Plymouth, and doing likewise in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Peterborough United.

Nonetheless, eagle-eyed observers may note that the loss to Peterborough was the Stags’ first setback since a pre-Christmas defeat to Stockport County, ending a nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

With Mansfield undefeated away from home in any competition since late November, the Nottinghamshire side will relish the prospect of improving their seven-match record at Turf Moor.

Burnley FA Cup form:

Burnley form (all competitions):

Mansfield Town FA Cup form:

Mansfield Town form (all competitions):

Team News

Burnley are without the recently injured Axel Tuanzebe (Achilles), as well as long-term absentees Josh Cullen (knee), Zeki Amdouni (knee), Jordan Beyer (thigh), Mike Tresor (foot) and Connor Roberts.

Hannibal will also be assessed after going off with an apparent injury with seven minutes of normal time remaining, making way for James Ward-Prowse, and the Englishman could make his full debut this weekend.

Veteran striker Ashley Barnes scored twice in the 5-1 victory over Millwall, and the 36-year-old could return to the XI for his first appearance in a month.

Louis Reed netted twice in the 4-3 victory over Sheffield United in round three, with Rhys Oates scoring and assisting in the same match, and both men could play decisive roles for the League One outfit on Saturday.

Baily Cargill was replaced on the hour with a suspected injury on Tuesday, making the centre-back doubtful for selection at Turf Moor.

Burnley possible starting lineup:

Weiss; Walker, Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman; Luis, Ward-Prowse; Tchaouna, Larsen, Anthony; Barnes

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:

Roberts; Oshilaja, Sweeney, Knoyle; Akins, Lewis, Reed, Blake-Tracy; Moriah-Welsh, Oates, Evans

We say: Burnley 2-1 Mansfield Town

Although Mansfield took down Sheffield United in the previous round, their recent lack of ruthlessness in front of goal could prove fatal against top-flight opposition.

Burnley will be flying high after their remarkable turnaround at Selhurst Park, and we expect Parker’s side to have too much quality for the Stags, ultimately securing passage to the fifth round.

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