Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs Huddersfield Town - prediction, team news, lineups

An important battle at the top end of the League One table will take place at Home Park on Saturday, as Plymouth Argyle welcome Huddersfield Town.

The hosts have climbed to the summit of the division with consecutive victories, while their visitors are three points behind in fourth spot.

Match preview

Plymouth Argyle return to League One action on Saturday aiming to build a lead at the top of the table with a third straight victory.

After overcoming a poor start to 2025-26 to finish just short of the playoff places as one of the division's form teams in 2026, they set out to mount a sustained challenge for promotion back to the Championship this term and have enjoyed a strong start, sitting top on 19 points from 10 games.

That is largely thanks to their attacking form, having scored 18 goals in those matches, while only one team in the top half have conceded more than the 12 goals that Tom Cleverley's side have allowed.

The Pilgrims have now won five of their last six third-tier games since early September, most recently hosting AFC Wimbledon on the back of league and EFL Trophy wins over Leyton Orient and Newport County and coming from behind to stay top with a 2-1 victory thanks to Caleb Watts's leveller and Xavier Amaechi's winner deep into injury time.

Boosted by that dramatic win and now two points clear at the top albeit having played more than any other top-10 team having not missed any action in the international break, Plymouth will look to pull clear with another win on Saturday to make it three in a row in the league and four in all competitions.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the long trip south aiming to move level with their hosts in their own fight at the top end of the table.

After consecutive mid-table finishes following their relegation, Huddersfield Town handed Martin Drury the permanent reins over the summer with the hopes of sustaining a promotion bid at the third attempt, and they sit fourth on 16 points after nine games.

The Terriers have lost just one of those games while scoring 16 goals and conceding just nine, with the solitary defeat coming away at strugglers Bromley in mid-September, and they bounced back by seeing off Burton Albion and thrashing Rochdale in the EFL Trophy.

Fellow promotion-chasers Sheffield Wednesday then visited the Accu Stadium on Saturday, and Drury's men looked set to put another win on the board as they led 2-0 through Joe Taylor and Derensili Sanches Fernandes until the final five minutes, only for the visitors to snatch a point through an Ibane Bowat own goal and Jamal Lowe's 98th-minute penalty.

Left wounded by the manner of that draw, but still with positives to take from their start to Drury's permanent tenure, and with just a three-point gap to the leaders with a game in hand, Huddersfield Town will aim to bounce back to winning ways at Home Park with their sights set on the automatic promotion spots.

Plymouth Argyle League One form:

Plymouth Argyle form (all competitions):

Huddersfield Town League One form:

Huddersfield Town form (all competitions):

Team News

Plymouth Argyle are set to remain without defender Julio Pleguezuelo, midfielder Malachi Boateng and attacker Owen Oseni on Saturday due to ongoing injuries.

Key forward Aribim Pepple also missed last weekend's game, and while he is set to be available, he may not be rushed back, meaning Cleverley may stick with the pairing of Will Evans and Caleb Watts.

Joe Edwards was also forced off in the first half against AFC Wimbledon and will likely be replaced by Matthew Sorinola, while Xavier Amaechi has a claim to come in from the outset after scoring the decisive goal off the bench but will have to displace either Oliver Irow or Ronan Curtis on the wings.

Huddersfield Town are still hit by injuries, with defender Jack Whatmough and midfielders David Kasumu Ryan Ledson and Marcus McGuane sidelined.

Joe Taylor will continue to line up with confidence in attack, having netted six goals in eight league appearances so far this term after hitting 11 in League One in a loan spell away in the second half of 2025-26.

He should again be joined by Bojan Radulovic and Derensili Sanches Fernandes, who has contributed four goals and four assists in nine league appearances since his summer arrival, while Archie Collins and Cameron Humphreys will continue in midfield given the absences.

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Sorinola, Ross, Mitchell, Hartridge; Curtis, Ibrahim, White Irow; Evans, Watts

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:

Young; Balker, Wallace, Bowat; Bronkhorst, Collins, Humphreys, Mumba; Sanches Fernandes, Radulovic, Taylor

We say: Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Huddersfield Town

Saturday's game is arguably the highlight of the League One weekend with two of its form teams and strongest squads squaring off.

We anticipate a tight encounter and cannot quite split the teams, as Huddersfield Town make the tough trip having only lost once in the league this season while the table-topping hosts may feel the absence of star forward Pepple in a trickier game.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.