Preview: Mansfield Town vs. Bolton Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

In the contention for the playoffs successful League One, Mansfield Town are acceptable to big Bolton Wanderers astatine One Call Stadium connected New Year's Day.

The Stags volition statesman 2025 hoping to instrumentality revenge connected the visitors, who bushed them successful the reverse fixture, portion the Trotters volition beryllium looking to marque it back-to-back wins successful the league aft a ascendant triumph against Lincoln City past clip out.

Match preview

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Nigel Clough's Mansfield are presently 11th successful League One, having earned 31 points from their 21 matches truthful far.

Town are looking for promotion astatine the archetypal clip of asking aft rising from League Two past term, and erstwhile they bushed Darren Ferguson's Peterborough United 3-0 connected Boxing Day they moved to wrong 3 points of the playoff spots.

However, their dreams of consecutive promotions took a deed connected Sunday aft their 2-1 decision connected the roadworthy to Reading caused the Stags to autumn six points down the Royals, who inhabit the past playoff spot successful the 3rd tier, and driblet 3 places from eighth.

That nonaccomplishment besides ended a three-game unbeaten play that had stabilised Clough's broadside pursuing a agelong of six matches that featured 5 losses and conscionable 1 triumph betwixt November and December.

In that mediocre stretch, Mansfield mislaid 3-1 distant to Bolton connected December 3, though the Stags had Hiram Boateng sent disconnected erstwhile they were winning 1-0 and proceeded to concede a trio of precocious goals that outgo them each 3 points.

All-in-all, Wednesday's hosts person won conscionable 2 of their past 10 League One fixtures, and this week they volition beryllium hoping to beryllium that their decision past clip retired was a specified blip alternatively than a regression into the benignant of signifier that could spot them autumn distant from the contention for promotion successful the long-term.

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Meanwhile, Ian Evatt's Bolton are eighth successful the array with 34 points from their 21 matches to date, 3 points down the playoff spots with a crippled successful manus connected Reading.

The Trotters finished 2024 with a 3-0 triumph implicit 10-man Lincoln acknowledgment to a brace from Sunderland loanee Jay Matete and Aaron Collins's 10th extremity of the season.

After the game, Matete said helium was 'buzzing' to person scored his archetypal goals for the club, and came wrong inches of scoring a hat-trick erstwhile his long-range onslaught deed the woodwork precocious on.

Notably, Sunday's triumph was the visitors' archetypal successful the league since their triumph implicit Mansfield successful aboriginal December, and it ended a three-game winless tally during which Evatt's broadside had mislaid doubly and drawn once.

As they propulsion for promotion successful 2025, Bolton volition beryllium hoping to physique connected their effect past clip retired and rediscover the early-season signifier that earned them six wins from their 8 league matches betwixt September and October.

Mansfield Town League One form:

Bolton Wanderers League One form:

Bolton Wanderers signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Mansfield brag Clough mentioned successful a post-match interrogation connected Sunday that helium volition beryllium getting 'fresh legs' connected the transportation connected New Year's Day, and specifically said that Elliot Hewitt and Baily Cargill were feeling the strength of the festive period.

On Wednesday, Lee Gregory tin beryllium expected to travel successful for Hewitt connected the right, portion Cargill whitethorn beryllium swapped retired for Stephen McLaughlin connected the left-hand broadside of the Stags' defence.

Elsewhere, striker Will Evans, who scored against Reading, has netted 3 goals successful his past 2 games, and should commencement up beforehand alongside Lucas Akins erstwhile again.

Bolton striker Victor Adeboyejo has not featured successful his side's past 2 matches owed to illness, but helium could beryllium successful the lineup connected Wednesday successful spot of John McAtee.

Right-sided defender Eoin Toal made a instrumentality to the XI for the archetypal clip since October connected Sunday and is apt to commencement erstwhile again this week arsenic helium builds fitness, though helium whitethorn beryllium taken disconnected aboriginal by Evatt to debar being overworked.

Elsewhere, Josh Sheehan, Chris Forino and Kyle Dempsey are nearing a instrumentality to enactment but are not apt to beryllium acceptable for the travel to Mansfield.

Mansfield Town imaginable starting lineup:
Pym; Bowery, Oshilaja, McLaughlin; Gregory, Baccus, Reed, Lewis, Blake-Tracy; Akins, Evans

We say: Mansfield Town 2-1 Bolton Wanderers

Both sides volition beryllium looking to marque up crushed connected the playoff spots by taking 3 points from each different this week, truthful expect a close-fought contest.

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