After a change at the helm, Wycombe Wanderers will travel to Mansfield Town this weekend for round 27 of League One.
The visitors parted ways with head coach Matt Bloomfield on January 14 after the 40-year-old was appointed by Championship side Luton Town.
Match preview
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Title-chasing Wycombe will hope the departure of their former boss does not impact their momentum as they return to League One action this weekend.
Bloomfield took charge in February 2023, guiding the Chairboys to a ninth-place finish in the third tier at the end of the penultimate campaign, though they ended one spot lower last term.
The 2024-25 season has been Wycombe's best in recent times, with the club sitting second in the standings on 51 points - all earned under their now-departed manager - leaving them just two behind league leaders Birmingham City
However, Bloomfield's final League One outings did not yield the desired results, as the team failed to win either of their last two games - both on home soil - drawing 1-1 with Blackpool before suffering a 1-0 loss to Huddersfield Town.
The English manager ended that winless run with a 2-0 FA Cup victory over Portsmouth in his final match, bringing a positive close to an impressive nearly two-year spell at the club.
With no successor yet appointed and their matchday 26 fixture against Rotherham United postponed, Wycombe head into this weekend's trip eager to return to winning ways in the league, buoyed by an outstanding away record of eight wins, three draws, and two losses – the best in the division.
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Mansfield, on the other hand, return to action after suffering a 2-0 FA Cup defeat to fellow League One side Wigan Athletic on Tuesday, when Thelo Aasgaard's second-half brace sent the Stags crashing out of the competition.
Prior to that loss, the Nottinghamshire-based team saw two league fixtures postponed — against Lincoln City and Exeter City — but secured a 2-1 victory over Stockport County in their most recent outing in the third tier, marking their fourth win in five matches following a turbulent run between November 9 and December 14.
During that period, Nigel Clough's side went six matches without a win in League One, losing five on the bounce before a goalless draw with Charlton Athletic brought that run of defeats to an end.
Their recent resurgence sees them sitting eighth in the table with 37 points, four adrift of playoff spots, though they have a game in hand on sixth-placed Reading.
Mansfield will be determined to continue their strong league form, though their home record against the Chairboys offers little room for optimism, with the hosts winless in the last seven meetings on their turf.
Team News
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Wycombe's goalkeeper Sham George made an early exit in the FA Cup win against Portsmouth after picking up an injury in the seventh minute, and he is expected to be sidelined for a while, with no confirmed return date.
Nathan Bishop replaced the 26-year-old and kept a clean sheet for the remainder of the match, though that performance might not be enough to prevent Franco Ravizzoli, who has started the last 23 league games, from reclaiming his spot between the sticks for this one.
Kieran Sadlier, Jasper Pattenden and Sam Vokes remain sidelined through injury, while Joe Low could miss a second consecutive game due to illness.
Mansfield's Will Evans and Lee Gregory have been the club's key attacking threats this season, contributing 19 of their 31 league goals, and both players who found the net in the Stags' last league outing could reunite in attack after the former was left out of the starting XI against Wigan.
Keanu Baccus made a 22-minute cameo off the bench in their previous match, having missed the last two games to spend time with his wife following the birth of their child, but could return to the lineup for this fixture.
On the injury front, Rhys Oates remains sidelined with a knee issue, while Deji Adelaja, who was forced off against Stockport, is doubtful for Saturday after missing the last match, while his replacement in that game, Alfie Kilgour, has been diagnosed with a dislocated finger but could still be risked this weekend.
Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:
Pym; Bowery, Kilgour, Cargill; Baccus; Hewitt, Boateng, Lewis, Blake-Tracy; Evans, Gregory
Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Ravizzoli; Skura, Hartridge, Bradley; Harvie, Butcher, McCleary, Kodua, Scowen; Kone, Hanlan
We say: Mansfield Town 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe's impressive away record, coupled with Mansfield's struggles against them at home, gives the Chairboys a slight edge despite their recent managerial change.
The hosts' recent resurgence suggests they'll be competitive, but the visitors' attack, which has scored a whopping 32 goals on their travels, should see them edge a close contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
