PREDICTED LINE-UPS
Barnsley (3-5-2): Gauci; de Gevigney, Pines, Earl; Lembikisa, Phillips, Connell, Russell, O’Keeffe; Humphrys, Keillor-Dunn.
Huddersfield (4-3-3): Nicholls; Sorensen, Balker, Lees, Spencer; Wiles, Kasumu, Kane; Marshall, Charles, Chirewa.
TEAM NEWS
Barnsley: Out:Fabio Jalo (shoulder), Max Watters (ankle), Barry Cotter (ankle). Suspended: Marc Roberts.
Huddersfield: Out: Nigel Lonwijk (hamstring), Ruben Roosken (knee), Joe Taylor (hamstring), Mickel Miller (knee), Rhys Healey (knee), Danny Ward (knee)
OPPOSITION VIEW
Steven Chicken, ‘We Are Terriers’
Sitting in the top six would be the aim for many clubs, but Huddersfield were not shy about their aspirations of achieving automatic promotion.
A very streaky season featured an excellent start followed by an extended losing streak and then a 16-game unbeaten run. Form has dipped again lately, with Town’s goal-scoring particularly poor.
Town made several January signings to try and address that only to lose marquee striker Joe Taylor and left-back Ruben Roosken to injury almost immediately.
A top two finish now looks a remote possibility, and Michael Duff’s job first and foremost now is to hold onto that top six place.
REFEREE
David Rock, Hertforshire
The only other Barnsley game the official has taken charge of this season was the other league meeting between these sides in West Yorkshire.
He did not make any match-changing interventions but did book Fabio Jalo for an extravagant dive.
Rock also oversaw Barnsley’s 7-0 win over Port Vale on the opening day of last season and an EFL Cup loss at Bolton in 2022.
KEY BATTLES
DONOVAN PINES V DION CHARLES
This is the final game of Marc Roberts’ three-match ban for his red card at Wycombe.
Pines has started in his absence in the middle of the back three and has been poor, giving away goals and big chances.
But it is likely that the American – who was sent off against Huddersfield in the EFL Trophy in October – will start again, unless Clarke opts for Conor McCarthy. He is set to be flanked by Mael de Gevigney and Josh Earl who could play his 50th Reds game.
Charles scored four goals against the Reds for Bolton, including a brace at Oakwell in the play-offs last season.
He joined Huddersfield in January as they looked to strengthen their forward line along with Luton’s Joe Taylor who is now injured. Charles is yet to score in five Terriers appearances.
His is likely to play in the middle of a front three alongside Callum Marshall and Tawanda Chirewa who could come up against fellow Wolves loanee Dexter Lembikisa.
DAVIS KEILLOR-DUNN V TOM LEES
Since Keillor-Dunn joined, Barnsley have won 11 matches and he has scored in eight of those games.
If it had not been for his ability to find the corners of the net from tricky positions just after Christmas, which inspired a four-game winning run, the Reds would be well and truly out of the top six race. He ended a four-game wait for a goal at Stockport on Saturday and has 11 in total for the Oakwell club this campaign, as well as one for Mansfield at the start.
Keillor-Dunn is likely to be paired up front with Stephen Humphrys who has recovered from illness.
They could come up against Lees who is approaching his 600th career game, and Dutchman Radinio Balker.
Duff has mainly played 3-5-2 but switched to a back four against Reading on Saturday.
Keillor-Dunn will need to find space with his impressive movement and be clinical with any chances he gets.
While the Terriers sold Michal Helik to Oxford in January, another former Barnsley defender Matty Pearson is injured.
JON RUSSELL V HERBIE KANE
Russell played in a Championship play-off final defeat for the Terriers in 2022 but it turned sour for him after and he moved to Oakwell the following January. The midfielder captained the Reds in the EFL Trophy game at Huddersfield in October, having barely featured in the league, but impressed during the hard weeks of training which followed and has since been almost an ever-present on the left of a central three – scoring five goals.
With Clarke likely to return to 3-5-2 after the diamond debacle in Stockport, the holding midfielder will either be Kelechi Nwakali or Luca Connell – with the captain perhaps favourite having been praised by Clarke on Saturday.
Russell was often kept out of the Barnsley team in his first two seasons by Kane who moved across Yorkshire when his contract expired last summer to reunite with former Reds boss Duff.
He has been in and out of the 11 but, if he starts, he could come up against Connell and Adam Phillips who he started alongside so often for the Reds.
Kane can be a classy League One operator, as we saw during his Oakwell stint and in the reverse fixture when he came off the bench to assist Ben Wiles’ opener.
Wiles – Huddersfield’s top-scorer with six goals – is also expected to start along with David Kasumu who has just returned from injury and also scored in October.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Reds 1, Terriers 1 – December 4, 2021
Huddersfield’s most recent visit to Oakwell. Barnsley were playing their third game under Poya Asbaghi with their battling performance generating some positivity which did not last as they finished last in the Championship while Huddersfield reached the play-off final. Lewis O’Brien gave the visitors an early lead but Carlton Morris levelled soon after with his first goal of the season following injury.
Reds 2, Terriers 1 – December 26, 2020
Michal Helik – who went on to play for Huddersfield – scored twice in this behind-closed-doors Boxing Day game, including a 94th-minute winner. It was one of six 2-1 wins that December for Valerien Ismael’s play-off bound side with four of them, including this one, after falling behind.
Reds 1, Terriers 1 – February 25, 2017
Barnsley fell behind but levelled through Marley Watkins and Adam Davies starred with a series of fine saves. Huddersfield would reach the Premier League three months later while Paul Heckingbottom’s Barnsley were sliding out of play-off contention after selling star men in January.
Reds 4, Terriers 0 – October 3, 1995
Barnsley came from 2-0 down after the first leg to win this League Cup tie. Andy Payton scored a perfect hat-trick as he headed in the opener then netted with his left and right foot. He put them 2-0 up at half-time then scored another late on before assisting Andy Rammell.
Reds 2, Terriers 2 – October 15, 1983
Barnsley’s impressive front two Dave Geddis and Tony Cunningham put them 2-0 up at the interval. But the visitors scored twice in a few second half minutes, from a mistake by Barnsley goalkeeper Jake Findlay then a penalty after a handball by Joe Joyce
