Preview: Peterborough United vs Mansfield Town - prediction, team news, lineups

MK Dons will play their first home game back in League One on Saturday, when they meet Huddersfield Town in the second round of 2026-27 Championship matches.

The hosts marked their return to the third tier with an away draw last weekend, while their visitors won under new permanent management on the opening day.

Match preview

Peterborough United head into their first home game of the 2026-27 League One season on Saturday in search of their first points after an opening-day defeat on the road.

They finished the 2025-26 term in 18th place, largely thanks to a strong run following Luke Williams's October appointment, winning 11 of his first 18 games at the helm before ending the term with a nine-game winless streak with their safety already sealed.

Still hoping to put that rut behind them and kick on in the new term, their first full one under Williams, the Posh set their sights on 2026-27 and, after a mixed pre-season run, their first competitive outing came away at Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup first round with Harry Leonard scoring the only goal to fire them through.

A trip to promotion-hopefuls Bradford City then followed for their League One curtain-raiser, and Williams's men left empty-handed, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat as Macaulay Gillesphey and Nick Powell scored second-half goals for their hosts.

Peterborough United now head into competitive action at the Weston Homes Stadium for the first time this season with the hopes of getting up and running with a first league win.

They meet a visiting side who won on last weekend's opening day, albeit surrounded by a pair of cup defeats.

Mansfield Town came into a third consecutive League One campaign and a sixth full term under Nigel Clough with the hopes of building on a creditable 10th-placed finish last time around, winning three of their last four games to end on 65 points - 10 short of the playoff spots with only two teams conceding fewer than the 50 goals they allowed.

The Stags' season began at home to second-tier Sheffield United in the EFL Cup first round, and they would exit following a 3-0 defeat with Patrick Bamford, Mark McGuinness and Callum O'Hare on the scoresheet.

It did not take Clough's men long to get on the board at the One Call Stadium, though, hosting Doncaster Rovers last weekend in their first league outing and taking all three points from a 2-1 win, as Rhys Oates had them ahead, Jack Senior pegged them back and Louis Reed restored the lead to seal all three points 16 minutes from time.

Now on the back of a midweek 4-1 loss to Manchester City Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, with Regan Hendry's late goal the only consolation, Mansfield Town will now put their full focus on League One and bid to make it consecutive wins to start the term in their first away trip after three competitive home fixtures.

Peterborough United League One form:

Peterborough United form (all competitions):

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Mansfield Town League One form:

Mansfield Town form (all competitions):

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Team News

Peterborough United head into the weekend without defender David Okagbue, who was sent off in the weekend's defeat to Bradford, while Rio Adebisi, Sam Hughes, Matthew Garbett and Declan Frith remain sidelined by injuries.

In Okagbue's absence, either Evan Weir or 18-year-old Lucca Mendonca will come in to join Tom O'Connor in the middle of a back four.

Elsewhere, Liam Kelly may earn a first start in midfield, having made his debut off the bench on Saturday soon after his arrival from MK Dons, while Harry Leonard, who netted 16 league goals last season, will lead the attack again.

Mansfield Town are unable to call on Baily Cargill and Luke Bolton, both of whom have missed the start of the season through injury.

New attacker David McGoldrick also missed last weekend's league opener and the midweek cup game, likely leaving Michael Smith and Rhys Oates to partner up in attack.

They will have support from midfielders Jon Russell and Liam Thompson, while Louis Reed remains a key man in front of a back three.

Peterborough United possible starting lineup:

Bass; Dornelly, O'Connor, Weir, Mills; Johnston, Kelly; Williams, Khela, Shofowoke; Leonard

Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:

Roberts; Oshilaja, Sweeney, Blake-Tracy; Reed; Akins, Russell, Thompson, McLaughlin; Oates, Smith

We say: Peterborough United 1-2 Mansfield Town

A tough finish to last season and a summer in which several key men departed have not left Peterborough United in a great position to kick on as it stands, and we see them falling short against a Mansfield Town side keen to make it back-to-back league wins.

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