Preview: Huddersfield Town vs AFC Wimbledon - prediction, team news, lineups

Huddersfield Town and AFC Wimbledon square off at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday afternoon looking to retain their positions in the top 10 of the League One table.

Although these teams sit five points adrift of top spot, they only occupy eighth and ninth place in the standings.

Match preview

With Huddersfield having started the campaign as the pre-season title favourites, Lee Grant will recognise that he is under pressure in the Terriers dugout.

There was recently a period where Huddersfield lost five games in a row in all competitions, albeit four of those defeats coming against Bolton Wanderers (twice), Stockport County and a resurgent Wycombe Wanderers.

Grant's team also went down 2-1 to Luton Town in midweek, but the 3-1 wins over Plymouth Argyle and Mansfield Town prior to that defeat remain fresh in the memory.

Collecting maximum points from that double-header has also ensured that Huddersfield are still very much in a title race, sitting just five points adrift of Stevenage who remain the surprise package in the division.

However, Huddersfield have now gone nine games without keeping a clean sheet in any competition, while they also shared the sixth-worst defensive record alongside their next opponents.

Not so long ago, AFC Wimbledon were upstaging many of the more fancied teams in the division with last season's League Two playoff winners sitting in the playoffs.

Three consecutive defeats have led to Johnnie Jackson and his squad having to reassess their targets, particularly when they were played off the park in a 5-0 defeat at Peterborough United on November 8.

Just one game has been played since November 11 with the Dons losing out 2-1 at home to Wigan Athletic last Saturday.

That latest setback extended AFC Wimbledon's run since the start of the season where they have failed to score more than twice in a single League One match.

Nevertheless, with eight wins from 16 games in their first campaign back in the third tier, Jackson will remain optimistic that AFC Wimbledon can remain in the hunt for back-to-back promotions.

Huddersfield Town League One form:

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Huddersfield Town form (all competitions):

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AFC Wimbledon League One form:

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AFC Wimbledon form (all competitions):

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Team News

Huddersfield will be forced into at least one alteration with Marcus Harness serving a one-match ban for five yellow cards.

Ben Wiles could drop into a deeper midfield role which could allow Alfie May to return in the final third.

Lynden Gooch may also come back into the team, whether that be at right-back or on the left flank.

Despite defeat last time out, Jackson will make minimal changes with AFC Wimbledon having been leading Wigan before alterations were made.

Antwoine Hackford and Omar Bugiel are both vying to replace Danilo Orsi down the centre of the attack, while Isaac Ogundere, Ryan Johnson, Steve Seddon and Jake Reeves are all one yellow card away from a one-game suspension.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:

Goodman; Sorensen, Feeney, Low, Roosken; Wiles, Ledson; Wiles; May, Castledine, Gooch; Radulovic

AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:

Bishop; Ogundere, Lewis, Johnson, Seddon; Reeves; Sasu, Smith, Hippolyte, Browne; Hackford

We say: Huddersfield Town 1-1 AFC Wimbledon

Although Huddersfield have improved of late, they are still one of the most inconsistent sides in the division. With that in mind, we feel that the visitors may battle their way to a much-needed share of the spoils to kick-start their playoff bid.

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