MK Dons play host to Ipswich Town on Saturday lunchtime with the club only sitting above the relegation zone in the Championship on goal difference.
Ipswich make the trip to Milton Keynes on the back of their first defeat in seven, but the Tractor Boys can earn a place in the top six with three points in the early kickoff.
MK Dons
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Since taking over in 2010, Karl Robinson has worked wonders to earn MK Dons a place in the Championship, but the 35-year-old could find himself under pressure should he not improve his side's recent form.
The club have won just one of their last eight league games - a narrow 1-0 success over Charlton Athletic - and although respectable draws against Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers have been recorded in recent weeks, there is no getting away from the fact that the club are in a relegation battle.
Robinson has said that he considers their current position of 20th to be a success, which is arguably a fair assessment given that they have only featured in League One and Two under the Milton Keynes name, but the 35-year-old needs to show that he is capable of establishing the team in the second tier.
That may or may not come in the next few months, but first and foremost, MK Dons need three points. They have only won a total of three times in their last 18 outings, and last week's 2-0 defeat to Brentford has left them only above the drop zone on goal difference.
Victories will only come if a solution can be found to their lack of cutting edge in attack, with just three goals being scored during their disappointing run of results, but Robinson would be more than satisfied should his team run out 1-0 victors at home for the third time this season.
Recent form: LWLDDL
Ipswich Town
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After losing at home to a potential promotion rival and seeing a six-match unbeaten spell come to an end, Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy would be forgiven for having endured a frustrating few days on the training pitch.
However, when looking at the bigger picture, McCarthy may consider the 2-0 defeat to Middlesbrough as a minor blip. The Tractor Boys could, and probably should, have been ahead at the break, which could have provided them with the platform to achieve a notable victory, as well as earn a spot in the top six.
It is all ifs, buts and maybes, but Ipswich are long out of the seven-game winless run they endured between the middle of September and the end of October, and they should be far from downhearted having suffered a setback against a team tipped to win the title.
Their mindset may change should they lose in the lunchtime clash on Saturday, but McCarthy will be looking to make a statement ahead of the rest of the day's fixtures, much like they did against a resurgent Charlton just a couple of weeks ago.
The loss to Middlesbrough saw Daryl Murphy go without a goal for the first time in four games, but having netted six times in his previous three, there will be very little concern that he may embark on another prolonged period without a goal.
Recent form: DWWDWL
Team News
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MK Dons boss Robinson has promised changes to his starting lineup after witnessing his team outplayed at Brentford last Saturday.
Samir Carruthers, Daniel Powell and Sam Gallagher could all be in contention to come into the team after appearing as substitutes at Griffin Park.
McCarthy has revealed that Tommy Oar, Kevin Bru and Larsen Toure are all out of the trip to Milton Keynes because of injury.
However, the former Republic of Ireland boss has hinted that striker David McGoldrick could earn more playing time after making a brief appearance from the bench against Middlesbrough.
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Martin, Spence, McFadzean, Kay, Lewington, Potter, Carruthers, Baker, Powell, Gallagher, Maynard
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Gerken, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Maitland-Niles, Douglas, Sears, Murphy, Pitman
Head To Head
Since Wimbledon relocated to Milton Keynes, the two teams have played each other on just one occasion.
That came during the 2007-08 campaign, when MK Dons prevailed in a penalty shootout in the League Cup, after the match had initially ended in a 3-3 draw after extra time.
We say: MK Dons 1-2 Ipswich Town
With MK Dons struggling for goals and coming off the back of a performance that Robinson described as the worst of the season, we have to back Ipswich. They missed out against Boro last week, but this should be the perfect game to return to winning ways.
Darren Plant
