Preview: Peterborough United vs Lincoln City - prediction, team news, lineups

A resurgent Peterborough United will be hoping to continue their upward trajectory in League One when they welcome Lincoln City to London Road on Saturday.

The Posh will be aiming for a third straight win, while the Imps will be looking to make it eight games unbeaten in the third tier.

Match preview

Darren Ferguson's Peterborough struggled in 2024-25, scoring in abundance but conceding in equal measure throughout a tumultuous campaign.

The Posh were hoping to put the season behind them and refocus on fighting for promotion to the Championship, but they lost eight and drew one of their first nine matches across all competitions this term.

However, Ferguson's side seem to have found their footing in recent weeks, beating Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 on September 13 before grinding out a 1-0 win on the road against Plymouth Argyle - who struck the woodwork three times - last Saturday.

Those victories lifted Peterborough off the foot of the table, though only just, given that they are second from bottom with seven points and remain in the relegation zone.

Another three points this weekend would be enough to see the Posh climb up to 16th in a best-case scenario, leapfrogging the two teams they previously beat in the process, though they will need to put in a strong performance at the back to do so considering that they have conceded the joint second-most goals in the league.

Meanwhile, Michael Skubala's Lincoln finished 17 points short of the playoff spots last season, but they have opened 2025-26 in excellent fashion, losing just once in League One so far.

The Imps come into this weekend's clash on a seven-match undefeated run in the third tier, and they had won seven and drawn three of their 10 games prior to Tuesday's 2-1 EFL Cup loss at the hands of Premier League giants Chelsea.

Skubala's men's resilience is a major asset, and though they were beaten by the Blues, they will take heart from the fact that they took the lead through Rob Street in the first half.

Most recently in the league, Lincoln seized all three points in a 3-1 victory over Luton Town, a game in which they led through an early Ben House strike but needed two goals in the final five minutes of regular time to secure the win.

In any case, that triumph saw the Imps overtake Cardiff City to move up to third in the table, where their tally of 18 points has them within two points of top-of-the-pile Bradford City.

On the other hand, the visitors are only two ahead of seventh-placed Doncaster Rovers, but with four wins and a draw from their last five away games, they will be confident of solidifying their place in the top six this weekend.

Peterborough United League One form:

Peterborough United form (all competitions):

Lincoln City League One form:

Lincoln City form (all competitions):

Team News

Peterborough have a lengthy absentee list to deal with this weekend, including centre-backs Sam Hughes and Oscar Wallin, as well as left-back Rio Adebisi, who continues to work his way back from a knee injury that has kept him out for the entirety of 2025.

As a result, Tom Lees, George Nevett and Thomas O'Connor should start in a back three on Saturday, flanked by wing-backs Peter Kioso and Jacob Mendy.

In attack, right-winger Declan Frith is not expected to take part, while left-winger Abraham Odoh is a doubt, so expect to see Jimmy Morgan and Harry Leonard start in a strike partnership up top.

As for Lincoln, attacking midfielder Jack Moylan is set to miss out due to an ankle injury, and Freddie Draper is likely to be joined by James Collins at the tip of the Imps' frontline.

Elsewhere, midfielder Dom Jefferies is a doubt with a hip issue, while Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee right-back Dexter Lembikisa may not be match-ready yet.

With that in mind, Tom Bayliss could partner Conor McGrandles in the centre of the park once again, while Tendayi Darikwa and Adam Reach line up at full-back either side of centre-halves Adam Jackson and Sonny Bradley.

Peterborough United possible starting lineup:

Bass; Lees, Nevett, O'Connor; Kioso, Garbett, Collins, Kehla, Mendy; Morgan, Leonard

Lincoln City possible starting lineup:

Wickens; Darikwa, Jackson, Bradley, Reach; Street, McGrandles, Bayliss, House; Draper, Collins

We say: Peterborough United 1-3 Lincoln City

Peterborough may have earned back-to-back wins ahead of this clash, but their defensive record suggests that they are likely to concede, especially when faced with one of the strongest opponents in the division.

Lincoln have also been excellent on the road, and they will be expecting to make it five wins from six away games on Saturday.

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