Preview:Wycombe Wanderers vs Fulham Under-21s - prediction, team news, lineups

With both teams at risk of elimination from the EFL Trophy, Wycombe Wanderers will welcome Fulham Under-21s to Adams Park on Tuesday for a Southern Group G clash.

The Chairboys are looking for their first win in three games, while the Cottagers' youngsters come into the match with a three-match unbeaten streak.

Match preview

Wycombe missed out on promotion to the Championship via the playoffs in 2024-25, but while they had expected to go one step further this term, they failed to win any of their first six League One matches in 2025-26.

As a result, the club made the decision to sack Mike Dodds and replace him with former Huddersfield Town boss Michael Duff in mid-September, and the new head coach has overseen two wins, one draw and one loss so far.

Most recently, the third-tier side bounced back from defeat at AFC Wimbledon on September 27 to collect a point in a 2-2 draw with Barnsley on Saturday, coming from two goals down to rescue the result with late strikes from Sam Bell and Alex Lowry in the 88th and 93rd minutes.

Last time out in the EFL Trophy, the Chairboys were beaten 2-1 on their own turf by League Two's Colchester United on September 2, a clash that will be worrying for fans given that they saw their team lose to lower-tier opposition.

Dropping three points on this tournament's first matchday has left Duff's men third in the group table, and means that they will have to match the U's or the Gills in order to have any chance of fighting on.

Notably, Wycombe are set to face Fulham U21s on Tuesday and Fulham's senior side on October 28 in EFL Cup, and this week's hosts will be confident of preparing to face the Premier League iteration of the Londoners with a win, considering that they have won two of their last three games at Adams Park and have lost just one of their last five.

Meanwhile, Hayden Mullins's Fulham Under-21s have been in excellent form throughout 2025-26, winning six, drawing one and losing two of their nine games across all competitions to date.

The young Cottagers most recently followed up consecutive triumphs over West Bromwich Albion Under-21s and Birmingham City Under-21s with a 1-1 stalemate against Liverpool Under-21s, a result that maintained the club's unbeaten record in the Premier League 2 and left them fifth in the table.

However, coming up against senior players offers another level of testing for academy stars, and it remains to be seen whether they can carry their form into the EFL Trophy this week.

On September 2, Fulham Under-21s approached their opening clash in Group G on the back of a four-game winning run, but were given a rude awakening by Gillingham, who thrashed Mullins's side 4-1, taking the lead within three minutes and only conceding a 98th-minute consolation effort from Aaron Loupalo-Bi.

That defeat sees them rooted to the bottom of the rankings prior to Tuesday's kickoff, and unless the Cottagers can match one of the top two's results this time around, they will be eliminated from the competition.

Wycombe Wanderers EFL Trophy form:

Wycombe Wanderers form (all competitions):

Fulham Under-21s EFL Trophy form:

Fulham Under-21s form (all competitions):

Team News

With Duff still working out how best to use squad, Wycombe could make a number of changes in midweek, including starting Bradley Fink up top, while Cauley Woodrow remains on the bench.

Elsewhere, the manager could select a back three of Dan Casey, Jack Grimmer and Connor Taylor in front of goalkeeper Will Norris, while Luke Leahy, Ewan Henderson and Caolan Boyd-Munce line up in the centre of the park.

As for Fulham U21s, Aaron Loupalo-Bi, who scored against Liverpool Under-21s, will be looking for his fourth goal in three games, and is sure to be keen to test himself against senior opposition.

The young striker is likely to be aided from out wide by Macauley Zepa and Farhaan Ali Wahid, while Seth Ridegon operates in an attacking midfield role behind the centre-forward.

Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Norris; Casey, Grimmer, Taylor; Back, Leahy, Henderson, Boyd-Munce, Harvie; Fink, Lowry

Fulham Under-21s possible starting lineup:

Underwood; De Jesus, Nsasi, Amissah, Essenga; Quashie, Nwoko; Zepa, Ridgeon, Wahid; Loupalo-Bi

We say: Wycombe Wanderers 3-1 Fulham Under-21s

Wycombe have improved under Duff after their dire start to the season, and having scored twice in each of their last three home games, expect them to net more than once in midweek.

Fulham Under-21s boast a number of talented youngsters, but after their struggles against Gillingham, the gap from youth to senior football could see them lose once again on Tuesday.

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