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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Sport
Sam Frost

Key absentee and business incomplete – Step into Joey Barton's shoes for Bristol Rovers' opener

Just five days remain until Bristol Rovers get their League One season underway, and debate remains over who will win starting spots for the Gas.

Joey Barton's side take on Forest Green Rovers at the Mem on Saturday, with several places up for grabs in the season opener. Rovers' summer transfer business is far from complete, giving fringe players the chance to contend for places in the starting XI.

And with Paul Coutts out suspended, serving the three games left on a four-match ban picked up in the penultimate game of last season, there is a void to fill in the heart of Rovers' midfield.

As a result, the team that starts the season could look very different to Barton's chosen XI by the end of the transfer window. The deadline day signing of Antony Evans a year ago indicates the value that can be found in the closing stages of the trading period.

Barton hopes to complete several signings in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, important points are up for grabs. With several big clubs jockeying for position, League One promises to be highly competitive and a significant step up in standard for the Gas.

The manager, therefore, will have to come up with solutions while he waits for the finishing touches to be made to his squad.

Using our team selector tool below, Gasheads can have their say on the starting XI they would like to see take the field against Forest Green on Saturday.

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