Playoff-chasers Swindon Town welcome an improving Colchester United outfit to the County Ground for their League Two clash on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides have made improvements after challenging starts, but still find themselves at opposite ends of the league table.
Match preview
Drastic inconsistency of late is the only thing holding Swindon back from pushing on into the playoff places at the moment.
Their last three wins have all been followed by a defeat in the next fixture, but losing to table-toppers Stevenage last time out was understandable given the form of their opponents.
A sluggish start did impact them greatly at the beginning of the season though, as they opened up with just one win and eight points from their first seven matches, meaning they spent much of the opening months of the season in the bottom half.
However, they have since moved to within just a point of the playoff places and the blow of losing last time out was softened by the fact that most of the sides above them lost, and lost to much weaker opponents than Stevenage.
Swindon also will not have the distraction of the EFL Trophy much longer as they have already been eliminated after just two games, so they can focus firmly on league matters going forward.
On the other hand, Colchester have reserved much of their good form for the EFL Trophy, and will progress to the last 32 with seven points from their three matches, an extraordinary tally when you consider they have collected just nine points from 12 matches in League Two.
Despite their low points total, they are showing signs of improvement under new manager Matt Bloomfield, and they won their last league encounter at home to Harrogate Town, meaning they are now unbeaten after 90 minutes in their last three games.
That was a welcome relief after losing three on the spin, leaving them just above the relegation zone on goal difference, and which saw the club part company with Wayne Brown.
Now, Bloomfield's side are three places above the drop zone, but if they want to move further away from danger, they must improve on their dismal away record which has seen them take just one point from five games on the road this season.
Improvements in defence would not go amiss either, as the U's have not kept a clean sheet in their last 12 matches across all competitions.
Team News
Both Jonny Williams and Jacob Wakeling came off in their defeat to Stevenage last weekend with minor injuries, but manager Scott Lindsey has said the duo are ready to go from the start again following a good week in training.
However, captain Angus MacDonald will miss up to three months of action after seeing a specialist this week, so French veteran Mathieu Baudry will be expected to continue as deputy at centre-back alongside Tom Clayton.
Striker Tomi Adeloye is fit to return to the first-team squad after missing two months of action, but Lindsey has revealed he is not ready to play from the start just yet.
Therefore, Luke Jephcott is in line to start from the outset again on Saturday.
Right-back Cameron Coxe left the club this week to join National League side Boreham Wood on loan until the end of the season so Bloomfield has the choice of Ossama Ashley to fill in or to utilise the more natural option of teenager Junior Tchamadeu, who started in the win over Harrogate.
New Zealand international Tommy Smith remains out injured, along with Emyr Huws, as the pair have both been missing since a friendly with Millwall in pre-season.
Bloomfield made 10 changes from the side that beat Harrogate for the EFL Trophy tie in midweek, as only centre-back Luke Chambers retained his place in the starting lineup for the trip to Gillingham.
Despite being a goalscorer in midweek, John Akinde may not keep his place in the side up front, as Kwesi Appiah has scored in his last two league games.
Swindon Town possible starting lineup:
Brynn; Hutton, Baudry, Clayton, Blake-Tracey; Darcy, Khan, Gladwin; Wakeling, Jephcott, Williams
Colchester United possible starting lineup:
Hornby; Tchamadeu, Chambers, Dallison, Kazeem; Skuse, Marshall, Hannant, Sears, Nouble; Appiah
We say: Swindon Town 1-1 Colchester United
Colchester have looked much better on two fronts since the arrival of their new manager, and a first win under Matt Bloomfield in the league last week will have done wonders for their confidence.
Swindon will go into the game as favourites but may not know what to expect from a side under new management.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Andrew Delaney
