Preview: Huddersfield Town vs. Stockport County - prediction, team news, lineups

In a promotion 'six-pointer', Huddersfield Town are acceptable to big Stockport County astatine John Smith's Stadium connected Boxing Day successful League One.

Last clip out, the Terriers enactment connected a ascendant show and won 4-0 distant to relegation-threatened Cambridge United, portion the Hatters bushed high-scoring Peterborough United 2-1 astatine home.

Match preview

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Michael Duff's Huddersfield are presently 4th successful League One with 39 points from their 20 games truthful far, 5 points down Wycombe Wanderers successful the automatic promotion places.

The Terriers' triumph against the U's came aft a nonaccomplishment to Bolton Wanderers successful the EFL Trophy and a league gully with Lincoln City connected December 14 interrupted the five-game winning streak they had built successful each competitions betwixt aboriginal November and the commencement of this month.

That being said, Duff's broadside are unbeaten successful their past 11 league matches, drafting three, winning the different 8 and keeping six cleanable sheets successful the process, making them the astir in-form squad successful the division.

Additionally, Huddersfield were past prevented from scoring successful League One backmost successful October erstwhile they drew 0-0 with Wrexham, and person netted 17 goals successful the 8 games since.

These awesome numbers adhd up to make a squad that are firmly successful contention for promotion from the 3rd tier this season, and a Boxing Day triumph implicit their rivals straight beneath them would marque for a large precocious Christmas contiguous for fans.

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Meanwhile, Dave Challinor's Stockport are 5th successful the array aft earning 36 points from their 21 games to date.

Three points down their hosts having played a lucifer more, a triumph this Thursday could springiness the Hatters much information successful the playoff spots arsenic they question promotion successful their archetypal League One play since 2009-10.

County's signifier is somewhat little pristine than Huddersfield's, but is inactive awesome nonetheless, arsenic they person registered 5 wins from their past 7 league games.

However, their triumph implicit the Posh connected December 20 followed back-to-back losses against League Two Bradford City successful the EFL Trophy and Stevenage successful League One, and wide the Hatters person mislaid 3 of their past 5 matches successful each competitions.

Additionally, brag Challinor volition beryllium keenly alert of the information that Aston Villa person decided to callback loanee guardant Louie Barry successful January successful bid to determination him to a higher level for the 2nd fractional of the season.

The erstwhile Barcelona younker subordinate has scored 14 goals successful 21 games this term, and fixed they volition surely miss his output going forward, Stockport volition beryllium hopeless to prime up each 9 points successful his last 3 games for the club, starting with their sojourn to Huddersfield connected Boxing Day.

Huddersfield Town League One form:

Huddersfield Town signifier (all competitions):

Stockport County League One form:

Stockport County signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Last week, Huddersfield brag Duff mentioned that wing-back Lasse Sorensen has not re-injured his hamstring, but has alternatively irritated immoderate scar tissue.

That irritation kept Sorensen retired of the crippled against Cambridge, but helium could marque the squad connected Thursday successful immoderate capacity.

Meanwhile, Nigel Cello Lonwijk volition instrumentality to the XI aft serving a suspension for picking up 5 yellowish cards this season, and should enactment up alongside Michal Helik and Matthew Pearson - who was lone acceptable capable for the seat against the U's - successful defence.

As for the Hatters, they are inactive without longer-term absentees Tyler Onyango and Nick Powell, some of whom suffered hamstring injuries that are expected to support them retired for astatine slightest different month.

In the guardant line, Louie Barry is acceptable to marque 1 of his last appearances for Stockport, and Challinor is apt to commencement him alongside striker Kyle Wootton and winger Odin Bailey.

Huddersfield Town imaginable starting lineup:
Chapman; Pearson, Helik, Lonwijk; Turton, Wiles, Kasumu, Kane, Koroma; Ward, Marshall

We say: Huddersfield Town 3-1 Stockport County

Both Huddersfield and Stockport are surely susceptible of winning this 'six-pointer', and it is tenable to representation some sides scoring astatine immoderate constituent during the match.

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