Preview: Fleetwood Town vs. Chesterfield - prediction, team news, lineups

After parting ways with caput manager Charlie Adam connected Sunday, Fleetwood Town volition big Chesterfield astatine Highbury Stadium connected Boxing Day, hoping the determination sparks a much-needed turnaround successful their League Two campaign.

Adam was sacked by the nine pursuing a 2-0 decision to Barrow past Saturday, with aboriginal strikes from Emile Acquah and Theo Vassell condemning the Fishermen to their 3rd consecutive league decision connected the road.

Match preview

© Imago

Fleetwood's fortunes person been connected a downward trajectory implicit the past year, culminating successful relegation from League One astatine the extremity of the 2023-24 season.

The Lancashire nine appointed Adam connected New Year's Eve 2023 to regenerate Lee Johnson aft a mediocre commencement to that campaign, but the alteration failed to apprehension their decline, yet bringing an extremity to their decade-long enactment successful the 3rd tier.

Now successful League Two, their struggles person persisted, with the Cod Army sitting 18th successful the standings aft managing 23 points from 19 games, 8 points supra the driblet zone, though they person 1 crippled connected 24th-placed Carlisle.

This is successful opposition to their promising commencement to the season, erstwhile Adam steered them to 4 wins and 4 draws successful 9 games, picking up 16 points from a imaginable 27, with conscionable 1 nonaccomplishment successful that streak.

However, that lone decision successful their aboriginal tally has fixed mode to conscionable 1 triumph successful the pursuing 10 matches, including 4 draws and 5 defeats, with past weekend's nonaccomplishment being the latest setback, starring to the 39-year-old manager's dismissal.

Pending the assignment of a caller caput coach, Fleetwood volition look to assistance themselves from the rubble and big Chesterfield astatine Highbury connected Thursday, buoyed by their caller grounds against the visitors, having won the past 3 meetings betwixt the sides.

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In contrast, Chesterfield person enjoyed a imagination commencement to their instrumentality to the Football League aft six seasons successful non-League.

The Spireites, caller disconnected winning the National League rubric successful 2023-24, person settled into beingness successful League Two seamlessly, presently sitting 5th with 34 points, conscionable 2 down third-placed Doncaster, who inhabit the last automatic promotion spot.

Paul Cook's men travel into Thursday's brushwood connected a high, having won their past 3 league matches without conceding, the astir caller of which was a 1-0 triumph implicit Wimbledon, with Armando Dobra's aboriginal onslaught securing each 3 points.

With 16 points from 10 games connected the road, Town boast the fifth-best distant grounds successful the part and volition look to widen that signifier against the struggling hosts

Chesterfield's attacking prowess connected the road, having scored 21 goals distant from location - 5 much than immoderate different squad - adds further value to their chances successful this encounter.

Fleetwood Town League Two form:

Fleetwood Town signifier (all competitions):

Chesterfield League Two form:

Chesterfield signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Carl Johnston, who has missed Fleetwood's past 3 games done injury, remains a uncertainty for Thursday's clash, portion Zech Medley, inactive recovering from the ruptured achilles tendon helium sustained successful precocious August, is besides unavailable.

Ronan Coughlan, Fleetwood's starring league scorer with six goals successful 17 appearances, volition beryllium the Fishermen's cardinal subordinate arsenic they look to him to marque the difference.

The vistors person nary wounded concerns and could instrumentality with the aforesaid lineup that defeated Wimbledon astatine the weekend.

Will Grigg, Chesterfield's apical scorer successful the league, is acceptable to pb the enactment erstwhile again arsenic helium aims to get backmost among the goals aft a quiescent outing past time.

Fleetwood Town imaginable starting lineup:
Harrington; Broom, Potter, Bolton, Bennett, Hunt; Helm, Virtue, Mayor; Coughlan, Graydon

We say: Fleetwood Town 1-2 Chesterfield

Despite Chesterfield's caller struggles astatine Highbury, with defeats successful their past 2 visits, their awesome tally of 3 consecutive victories cannot beryllium overlooked.

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