Preview: Stockport County vs Barnsley - prediction, team news, lineups

In their first league game since the beginning of the international break, Barnsley will make the trip to Edgeley Park on Saturday to take on Stockport County.

The visitors are winless in six games in all competitions and sit 18th in the League One table, while their hosts picked up a victory during the break to climb into the top six.

Match preview

Stockport County head into the weekend in search of back-to-back League One victories to improve their standing at the top end of the division.

After a second consecutive third-placed finish and a loss in the playoff final last time around, the club hierarchy replaced long-serving manager Dave Challinor with Jimmy McNulty over the summer, and they have earned 13 points from his first eight league games at the helm.

The Hatters have won four and lost three of those games while scoring a league-high tally of 17 goals, having not yet recorded back-to-back victories in the third tier.

McNulty's men were in action in the first weekend of the September and October international break, hosting Peterborough United on the back of a goalless draw away at Sheffield Wednesday, and they returned to winning ways as Kyle Wootton scored the only goal to fire his team into fifth place.

Having since taken on Shrewsbury Town in the EFL Cup on Tuesday and won 2-0 away from home, Stockport will now bid to keep building momentum and make it consecutive three-point hauls to establish themselves amongst the frontrunners with just a three-point gap up to first and second places.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip from South Yorkshire aiming to arrest an early-season slump in their first league game in three weeks.

Barnsley also underwent a managerial change over the summer, with Daniel Stendel returning to the dugout, and they currently sit 18th having picked up eight points from their first seven outings.

Their two victories came consecutively in late August and early September, and the Reds are winless in six games in all competitions since, going on to lose heavily to Stevenage and Plymouth Argyle before hosting Leicester City last time out in the league.

Stendel's men trailed 1-0 with 10 men at the break after Luca Connell's red card but were able to take a share of the spoils as Reyes Cleary equalised on the hour mark, before falling to 4-3 and 4-1 losses to Leeds Under-21s and fourth-tier Fleetwood Town in the EFL Trophy during the break.

Now sitting just two points above the bottom four, but also with just a five-point gap to their fifth-placed hosts with a game in hand on most top-half teams, Barnsley will hope for a fresh start and to kickstart their campaign with a second away league win of the season on their return to league action.

Stockport County League One form:

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Barnsley League One form:

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Barnsley form (all competitions):

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Team News

Stockport County remain without attacker Adama Sidibeh, who is yet to feature this season, while centre-back Brad Hills is still sidelined with a long-term injury.

After rotating heavily for their midweek EFL Trophy tie, McNulty may revert to the same starting XI from their win over Peterborough last time out in the league, other than the return of goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff who missed that game while on international duty with England Under-20s.

Wootton will lead the line, having netted his fifth league goal of the season in that game after scoring 20 last time around, while Jack Diamond and Harry Wood are danger men on the wings having scored four and three respectively in League One this term.

Barnsley remain without goalkeeper Cieran Slicker, meaning Rogan Ravenhill will continue to deputise between the sticks.

Luca Connell will serve a suspension after his red card in their last league game against Leicester, while fellow midfielder Cameron McGeehan and attackers Makenzie Kirk and Ben Hamed Toure are doubts due to illness.

If they miss out, Jonathan Bland will join Patrick Kelly in midfield after being away on international duty with Wales Under-21s, while Tyrese Noslin may come into the attack, allowing Amani Richards to lead the line in Toure's place.

Stockport County possible starting lineup:

Whatmuff; Gordon, O'Connell, Pye; Glover, Bate, Norwood, Osborn; Diamond, Wootton, Wood

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Ravenhill; Gale, O'Riordan, Shepherd, Kay; Kelly, Bland; Noslin, Yoganathan, Cleary; Richards

We say: Stockport County 2-0 Barnsley

Barnsley head to Edgeley Park in a slump and may be hit by illnesses to several important players, while their hosts are growing in confidence under McNulty and should have too much quality on home turf.

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