Preview: Exeter City vs. Bristol Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Gary Caldwell's Exeter City are acceptable to big David Horseman's struggling Bristol Rovers connected Boxing Day astatine St James Park successful League One.

The Grecians came from down to triumph 2-1 past clip retired against Burton Albion, portion Bristol Rovers ended a three-game nonaccomplishment streak successful the league with a 1-1 gully against high-flying Wrexham.

Match preview

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Exeter are presently 13th successful League One having picked up 27 points from their 20 matches truthful far, and are 4 points from the playoff spots.

Following his side's comeback triumph implicit Albion connected Saturday, brag Caldwell was highly pleased and mentioned that to triumph successful specified a mode showed their quality and would surely acceptable the nine up for a palmy 2nd portion of the season.

In that game, the Grecians conceded aft conscionable 8 minutes, but a close-range header from Josh Magennis drew them level earlier a stunning onslaught from Millenic Alli midway done the 2nd fractional gave the visitors the 3 points that their show deserved.

However, that triumph was Exeter's archetypal successful 7 League One matches, a agelong that went backmost to mid-November and included 4 losses and 2 draws.

It is besides notable that Caldwell's broadside person not kept a cleanable expanse successful the league since the aforesaid mid-November period, though fixed the violative struggles that person plagued Thursday's visitors, the Grecians whitethorn get distant without their antiaircraft weakness being exposed this week.

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Meanwhile, Horseman's Rovers are 19th successful the table, and their 22 points from 20 games has them conscionable 2 points supra Crawley Town successful the relegation zone.

The Gas are without a imperishable manager pursuing the sacking of Matt Taylor earlier this month, and Horseman has taken interim complaint erstwhile again, though this clip helium is being assisted by Lee Cattermole.

That being said, it has been reported that Brighton Under-18's brag Inigo Calderon is acceptable to articulation the nine successful the coming days, and fans volition anticipation that helium tin get the squad to information and information successful League One astatine the precise least.

One of the archetypal points connected immoderate caller manager's docket volition beryllium to amended the Gas' mediocre signifier successful beforehand of extremity this season, a occupation that has been readily evident fixed the information Horseman's broadside person scored conscionable 2 goals successful their past six league games.

Only 2 teams person scored less than Rovers' 18 goals this term, and erstwhile coupled with their 29 goals conceded, lone 1 nine extracurricular of the relegation portion has a worse extremity quality astatine the moment.

Exeter City League One form:

Exeter City signifier (all competitions):

Bristol Rovers League One form:

Bristol Rovers signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Exeter manager Caldwell has spoken astir however stretched his squad is successful defence astatine the infinitesimal aft Tristan Crama picked up a hamstring wounded successful Saturday's win.

To adhd to this, skipper Pierce Sweeney missed that lucifer with a calf wounded that is expected to support him retired for respective weeks, and Johnly Yfeko has besides been retired of enactment for the past 2 months with a hamstring injury.

Given this database of absentees, the Grecians volition apt enactment up with Edward Francis, Jack Fitzwater and Jack McMillan successful beforehand of goalkeeper Joe Whitworth.

As for the Gas, Horseman has said that the hamstring wounded that West Ham United loanee Michael Forbes picked up against Wrexham is inactive being assessed, and helium is improbable to diagnostic connected Boxing Day.

Consequently, Clinton Mola, who started that lucifer successful a wing-back position, is apt to determination further backwards to marque abstraction for Luke Thomas successful the XI.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa loanee Lino Sousa is backmost successful afloat grooming and portion helium whitethorn not start, the interim brag has mentioned that helium is disposable for minutes if selected.

Jack Hunt is besides backmost moving connected writer and is expected to beryllium successful the dugout arsenic helium has been helping the coaching unit pursuing Matt Taylor's dismissal, though helium is not yet acceptable to play.

Exeter City imaginable starting lineup:
Whitworth; McMillan, Fitzwater, Francis; McDonald, Woods; Alli, Aitchison, Mitchell, Niskanen; Magennis

We say: Exeter City 1-0 Bristol Rovers

Neither broadside travel into this lucifer successful the champion form, though Exeter whitethorn person gained immoderate assurance having won past clip out.

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