BARNSLEY will look for a fifth successive win when they visit head coach Darrell Clarke’s former club Bristol Rovers from 3pm.
Clarke was Rovers manager between 2014 and 2018, leading them to back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One.
The Reds are fifth, four points clear in the play-off places and nine off the top two – having won their last four games.
They have not played since a 3-0 home success over Crawley Town on January 4, with this week’s trip to Northampton Town called off.
The Gas are 20th, one place and five points clear of the relegation zone.
They sacked Matt Taylor in mid-December and replaced him with Spaniard Inigo Calderon who had been a long-serving player for Brighton then their under 18s coach. They ended a run of just one point from seven league games, which took them to within two points of the relegation zone, with a 1-0 win at Cambridge United two weeks ago which was their last league game.
The winner at Cambridge was netted by former Barnsley midfielder Luke Thomas, who had barely featured under the previous manager. Jack Hunt, the former Reds loanee, could be back in contention after an injury lay-off.
Rovers are the third lowest scorers in the division with 22 goals from their 24 games.
Clarke said: “They have struggled this season. The owners mentioned they have got the biggest budget in their history and they invested highly. It’s not quite clicked and a new manager has come in.
“He will have them fit and they have quality players.
“It’s always a difficult place to go.
“We have to be ready.
“It can be a hostile atmosphere, either way. If players are not putting a shift in they will know about it but, if they are, the fans will get right behind them.
“Our focus is to continue our magnificent away form.
“We were disappointed not to play last week and we’ve had a break that we didn’t want. So we are all looking forward to the game.”
Rovers lost 3-0 at Premier League Ipswich Town on Sunday in the FA Cup third round, having won at Barnsley on penalties in the second round.
The match finished 0-0 after extra-time despite the Reds dominating and having 30 shots. Rovers also visited Oakwell in the league in September and lost 2-1 with goals by Davis Keillor-Dunn and Adam Phillips.
The teams have met 38 times, with Barnsley winning 14 and losing 13.
The Reds have lost just two of the last 12 meetings.
They have only won three of 18 games at Rovers, with the last being a 5-1 success in 1992 at their former ground.
The Reds have travelled to the Memorial Stadium three times, losing in 2019 when already promoted, then drawing 0-0 and 1-1 in 2023.
