Preview: Huddersfield Town vs Blackpool - prediction, team news, lineups

Huddersfield Town will welcome Blackpool to the Accu Stadium on Saturday for an important game at both ends of the League One table.

The hosts sit sixth on the back of three straight victories, while their visitors have dropped to 18th spot and only lead the bottom four by a single point.

Match preview

Huddersfield Town return to action on Saturday aiming to continue a perfect start to life under the new management of Liam Manning and strengthen their standing at the top end of League One.

Following a relatively underwhelming first half to their second campaign back in England's third tier under Lee Grant, Manning arrived to take the reins in mid-January, with the Yorkshire side sat on 39 points from 27 outings in the playoff race on the back of losses to Stockport County and Burton Albion.

He has overseen a notable improvement thus far, with the Terriers winning each of their first three games under the new boss, firstly beating Bradford City and Luton Town 1-0 at home.

A trip to Peterborough United then followed last weekend, and Manning maintained his perfect record in a 3-2 triumph, as they led 2-0 through Lasse Sorensen and Radinio Balker and got pegged back by Kyrell Lisbie and James Dornelly, before Cameron Humphreys restored their lead and sealed all three points in the dying minutes.

Now sitting sixth and six points above seventh-placed Luton Town with renewed confidence on their side, and just a one-point gap to fifth spot and four-point gap to the top three, Huddersfield Town will bid to make it four straight wins and three at home under Manning on Saturday.

In their way stand a visiting side desperate for a return to winning ways in their fight at the other end of the division.

The 2025-26 season has been a disappointing one for Blackpool, who sit 18th in League One with just 32 points on the board from 29 games.

The appointment of former long-serving captain Ian Evatt as manager in October did provide an initial boost, but the Tangerines have now won one and lost five of their last six league games, scoring six goals and conceding 12 in those matches.

After the solitary victory over Northampton Town, Evatt's men fell at home to Stockport County, before visiting Luton Town last weekend and leaving empty-handed as Jordan Clark netted the only goal for the hosts 20 minutes from time.

Now sitting 18th as a result of their poor run since the turn of the year, and only leading the relegation zone by a single point, and boasting the division's second-worst away record with only Leyton Orient picking up fewer than their 10 points on the road, Blackpool will be desperate to correct their form and climb away from the bottom four on Saturday.

Huddersfield Town League One form:

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Huddersfield Town form (all competitions):

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Blackpool League One form:

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Blackpool form (all competitions):

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Team News

Huddersfield Town remain without Jack Whatmough, Sean Roughan and Antony Evans, as they are confined to the treatment room.

They also face absences in attack, with Bojan Radulovic set to miss out again, while Alfie May continues a suspension and new loan arrival Ryan Hardie may not yet be deemed fit to start.

Given those absences, Dion Charles should again lead the attack with support from Marcus Harness, while Cameron Humphreys will push for a midfield start in an otherwise unaltered XI after his winning goal off the bench last weekend.

Blackpool face a long list of injuries of their own, with Hayden Coulson, Fraser Horsfall, Kamarl Grant, Andy Lyons, George Honeyman, Albie Morgan, Joel Randall and Dale Taylor all set to miss out.

Michael Obafemi, Josh Bowler, Tom Bloxham and Niall Ennis will all compete to feature in the attack alongside key man Ashley Fletcher, who has netted 12 League One goals so far this season.

In the absence of Morgan and Honeyman, Jordan Brown will continue alongside Lee Evans in the engine room, while Oliver Casey, Michael Ihiekwe and James Husband should again line up in a back three.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:

Nicholls; Balker, Low, Wallace; Sorensen, Ledson, McGuane, Humphreys, Mumba; Harness; Charles

Blackpool possible starting lineup:

Peacock-Farrell; Casey, Ihiekwe, Husband; Hamilton, Evans, Brown, Ashworth; Bloxham, Fletcher, Obafemi

We say: Huddersfield Town 2-0 Blackpool

Even without key attackers Radulovic and May, Huddersfield Town showed their quality under Liam Manning to win on the road last weekend, and we again back them to come out on top at home to a Blackpool side sliding towards the drop zone.

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