Bristol Rovers play in an FA Cup third round tie for the first time in six years on Sunday, and there are plenty of selection concerns for boss Ben Garner.
With several key players out injured, including his number-one goalkeeper, Garner’s squad is stretched to its limits for the fixture against Coventry City.
The Sky Blues head to the Mem off the back of a fine three-game winning run in League One which has propelled them to third place,
Here is how we think Rovers will line up at the Mem.
Goalkeeper
With Anssi Jaakkola out for several weeks with a dislocated shoulder suffered at MK Dons, Jordi van Stappershoef will have don the gloves for the Gas.
He had a difficult afternoon after replacing Jaakkola in the 12th minute, but in fairness to the Dutchman the entire Gas team were off the pace on New Year’s Day with no-one acquitting themselves well in a dismal defeat, and Garner will be backing the 23-year-old to bounce back with a more convincing display at the Mem.
Alexis Andre will be on the bench after returning from a short loan spell at Salisbury City.
Defence
as is Tareiq Holmes-Dennis, but Sunday’s tie will come too early for both.
Mark Little’s calf issue is likely to rule him out again, therefore the defence is set to be unchanged, with Rollin Menayese, Tony Craig and Alfie Kilgour to play in the back three with Alex Rodman and Luke Leahy playing as the wing-backs.
Midfield
Ed Upson and Liam Sercombe have played so much football of late, barely missing a minute of Gas games over the past month.
With Garner still missing several players through injury, they will be asked to put in another shift for the cause
Rovers will be without Abu Ogogo, who is battling a “health issue” after managing just 45 minutes against Fleetwood and MK Dons.
Ollie Clarke’s hamstring injury is set to keep him out again, and although Sam Matthews is back training, it is far too early to expect him to feature in first-team action.
That means Cameron Hargreaves will likely be given another chance to play from the start. He impressed in that role at Fleetwood and replaced Ogogo at half time at Stadium MK.
Since Garner has come in, Hargreaves appears to have climbed ahead of Lucas Tomlinson in the pecking order, with the latter likely to be on the bench alongside Kyle Bennett.
Attack
Jonson Clarke-Harris will lead the line for the Gas, and he will be keen to break five-game streak without a goal from open play in League One.
He will he joined up front by Tom Nichols, with Tyler Smith out with a foot injury and Victor Adeboyejo set to return to parent club Barnsley in the coming days.
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