Burton Albion will be looking to boost their League One survival hopes when they travel to Brisbane Road to face Leyton Orient on Saturday lunchtime.
While the O's have won five of their last six games on home soil in all competitions, the Brewers have celebrated victory in both of their last two matches on the road.
Match preview
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Since losing 3-0 away against League One leaders Wycombe Wanderers at the end of October, Leyton Orient have put together an impressive run of form in all competitions, winning seven and drawing one of their last nine matches.
The O's have come out on top in their last two third-tier fixtures without reply against Bristol Rovers (3-0) and Wigan Athletic (2-0), with victory over the latter last weekend helping them climb up to 16th in the table, two points above the relegation zone.
Richie Wellens's side also kept a clean sheet in Tuesday night's 2-0 win at Charlton Athletic in the last 32 of the EFL Trophy, with a 93rd-minute goal from Charlie Kelman and a 95th-minute strike from Dan Agyei sealing a last-gasp victory.
Leyton Orient will now shift their focus back to League One and will endeavour to win three consecutive matches for the first time since January. The O's will welcome a return to home soil this weekend as they have won three of their last four league games at Brisbane Road.
They come up against a Burton outfit who have won one and drawn one of their previous two league encounters with Orient, winning this exact fixture last season by a 2-1 scoreline in February.
Tom Hounsell has overseen 11 matches in his tenure as Burton's caretaker boss, after the 29-year-old replaced Mark Robinson in October, but he has only celebrated four victories in that time and has lost five of his last six games in all competitions.
Burton were condemned to their 11th League One defeat of the campaign last weekend when they lost 1-0 at home to Wrexham, a result which leaves them sitting 23rd in the table and eight points adrift of safety.
The Brewers, who were then put to the sword 4-0 at home to Stevenage in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday, travel to Brisbane Road on Saturday on the back of winning just two of their last 19 League One fixtures (D5 L12), although they did win their last away game against Peterborough United by a 1-0 scoreline just over a week ago.
Team News
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Leyton Orient will be without winger Jordan Graham, who recently ruptured the patella tendon in his left knee - the same injury which saw him miss the majority of the 2023-24 campaign - and is now facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
After making nine changes in midweek, Wellens is expected to revert to a stronger starting lineup on Saturday, with the likes of Josh Keeley, Tom James, Omar Beckles, Dan Happe, Jordan Brown and Dan Agyei all hoping to force their way back into the first XI.
As for Burton, Hounsell made 10 changes to his side in midweek, but he was left "really disappointed" with his team's collective performance, and those who were given an opportunity to showcase what they can do "pretty much failed to do that."
Charlie Webster was one of those brought back into the first XI after serving a three-game ban, and he will hope to retain his place in centre-midfield, while Max Crocombe, Ryan Sweeney, Elliot Watt and Mason Bennett are among those set to be recalled.
Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:
Keeley; James, Beckles, Happe, Currie; Ball, Brown; Perkins, Donley, O'Neill; Agyei
Burton Albion possible starting lineup:
Crocombe; Godwin-Malife, Vancooten, Sweeney, Armer; Webster, Watt; Bennett, Bodin, Kalinauskas; Burrell
We say: Leyton Orient 1-0 Burton Albion
Taking into account the contrasting form of both teams, Leyton Orient will be regarded as favourites to come out on top this weekend and should have enough quality in their side to get the job done against a Burton outfit that has failed to score in five of their last seven matches.
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Oliver Thomas
