Barnsley host Cambridge United on Saturday from 3pm. The Reds are tenth in League One, nine points off the play-offs, while Cambridge are second-bottom and 13 points off safety having lost the last four.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Barnsley (3-5-2): Flavell; de Gevigney, Pines, McCarthy; Benson, Phillips, Connell, Russell, O’Keeffe; Watters, Keillor-Dunn.
Cambridge (4-3-2-1): Bishop; Gibbons, Morrison, Watts, Malone; Cousins, Digby, Brophy; Stokes, Kachunga; Loft
TEAM NEWS
Barnsley: Out injured: Fabio Jalo, Barry Cotter, Josh Earl, Georgie Gent, Jackson Smith. Doubts: Marc Roberts, Donovan Pines. International call-ups: Dexter Lembikisa, Connor Barratt, Bayley McCann.
Cambridge: Injured: Gary Gardner, Danny Andrew, George Thomas, Korey Smith, Zeno Ibsen Rossi, Taylor Richards, Shayne Lavery, Mamadou Jobe, Marko Marosi, Glenn McConnell.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Liam Apicella, Cambridge Independent
The Fat Lady is not singing just yet but she’s certainly warming up her vocal chords.
Cambridge pulled off the ‘Great Escape’ from relegation two seasons ago but they need an even bigger miracle this time around.
With League Two football looking a certainty for 2024/25, Neil Harris is likely to use the remaining nine games to cast an eye over the squad and determine which players he wants to keep to hopefully spearhead a promotion charge.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Reds 2, Us 1 – October 12, 1982
This Milk Cup first leg was postponed initially due to heavy rain. Ronnie Glavin and Mick McCarthy – who conceded a penalty in the called-off match – put the hosts 2-0 up before the visitors replied. Barnsley then won 3-1 in the away leg.
Reds 0, Us 2 – March 29, 2024
One of the real low points of Barnsley’s spectacular collapse in form under Neill Collins last season. Cambridge arrived in the relegation zone and winless in seven but were gifted an opener when Mael de Gevigney passed the ball past his goalkeeper Liam Roberts into the net. After John McAtee missed an open goal, Gassan Ahadme added another in the second half.
