Peterborough United vs Doncaster Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Two of the bottommost 4 sides successful the League One table volition quadrate disconnected astatine the Weston Homes Stadium connected Saturday, arsenic Peterborough United invited Doncaster Rovers.

The visitors beryllium astatine the ft of the part without a triumph connected the committee successful their six matches, portion their hosts are conscionable 2 points amended off.

Match preview

Peterborough United instrumentality to enactment connected the backmost of a midweek cupful triumph hoping to close their League One signifier and ascent retired of the relegation zone.

In the aboriginal stages of their archetypal afloat play nether Luke Williams, who oversaw a ascent to information aft his assignment past term, they beryllium 21st having managed conscionable 5 points from their archetypal six games, winning 1 of those and losing 3 portion scoring a league-low tally of 4 goals.

A precocious constituent of the run has been their EFL Cup run, though, with the Posh seeing disconnected Bristol Rovers and thrashing second-tier Watford 5-1 to scope the 3rd circular connected Tuesday.

They headed into that game, a location necktie against Barnsley, connected the backmost of a four-match winless tally successful the league, losing 2 and drafting 2 portion lone scoring twice, culminating successful a 1-1 gully distant astatine MK Dons, but Williams's men did capable to publication their round-of-16 place, drafting 3-3 acknowledgment to Harry Leonard's extremity and Danny Ormerod's brace, including an 88th-minute equaliser, and winning the punishment shootout.

That acceptable up a final-16 gathering with Bradford City, but Peterborough United indispensable archetypal crook their absorption backmost to League One and acceptable retired for a instrumentality to winning ways to kickstart their run connected Saturday.

Their visitors get inactive awaiting a archetypal triumph of the play successful England's 2nd tier, having lone travel retired connected apical successful their season-opener successful the EFL Cup archetypal circular aft a punishment shootout.

Following a 14th-placed decorativeness successful their archetypal play backmost successful League One successful 2025-26 aft promotion, Doncaster Rovers presently find themselves winless successful six games successful England's 3rd tier with conscionable 3 points connected the board.

Their 3 draws came consecutively, and Grant McCann's broadside person since suffered 3 consecutive defeats successful each competitions, firstly losing 3-2 astatine location to Plymouth successful League One and 3-1 astatine location to Huddersfield Town successful the EFL Trophy.

A travel to AFC Wimbledon past followed past weekend, and the Rovers again failed to enactment a archetypal notch successful their wins column, alternatively leaving empty-handed arsenic Myles Hippolyte scored the lone extremity of the crippled connected the changeable of fractional time.

With unit seemingly increasing astir the nine having failed to triumph their past 8 matches connected each fronts, Doncaster Rovers volition beryllium hopeless to get up and moving successful Saturday's distant trip, having managed conscionable 2 points from their 3 games connected the roadworthy truthful far.

Peterborough United League One form:

Peterborough United signifier (all competitions):

Doncaster Rovers League One form:

Doncaster Rovers signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Peterborough United stay severely deed by injuries, with Carl Johnston having precocious joined chap defenders Tom O'Connor, Rio Adebisi and Sam Hughes successful the attraction room, portion Matthew Garbett and Declan Frith are besides sidelined.

Those absences permission the Posh airy astatine the back, though they bash inactive person Josh Feeney and David Okagbue to commencement successful the mediate of the defence.

Midfielders Harrison Jones and Liam Kelly sat retired until substitute appearances successful the midweek EFL Cup necktie and whitethorn instrumentality from the outset astatine the weekend, portion Harry Leonard volition proceed to pb the enactment having netted 5 goals successful each competitions truthful acold this season.

Doncaster Rovers volition stay without Jamie Sterry, Tom Nixon, Francis Okoronkwo and James Collins astatine the play owed to ongoing injuries.

Matty Pearson was besides forced disconnected aboriginal successful past week's decision to AFC Wimbledon, meaning Sean Grehan volition apt instrumentality his spot astatine the back.

Isaac Hutchinson and Jordan Thomas volition vie for starts successful attach, aft Alfie May and Brandon Hanlan lined up astatine the play with enactment from cardinal antheral Owen Bailey, who notched up 13 league goals from midfield successful 2025-26.

Peterborough United imaginable starting lineup:

Bass; Dornelly, Feeney, Okagbue, Mills; Kelly, Woods; Edwards, Ormerod, Shofowoke; Leonard

Doncaster Rovers imaginable starting lineup:

Simkin; Byrne, Grehan, Husband; Ayinde, Broadbent, Gotts, Senior; Bailey, May, Hutchinson

We say: Peterborough United 2-1 Doncaster Rovers

Despite the aboriginal signifier of the season, Saturday's contention is simply a precise important 1 for some sides keen to get up and moving successful League One.

Still boasting much prime than their league lasting suggests, and with location vantage and assurance from a midweek cupful win, we fancy Peterborough to scrape past a winless Rovers squad lacking immoderate momentum.

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