Mansfield Town host Birmingham City in a blockbuster League One clash.
Victory would put Mansfield second before Wrexham and Wycombe play in the mid-afternoon kick-offs.
Birmingham will stay top regardless of the result but a win would put them seven points clear of Wrexham.
Team News
Lukas Akins is a doubt for Mansfield after he was substituted in their 2-1 midweek win at Wigan, due to injury.
Birmingham could be without Emil Hansson after he suffered a muscle injury in their 2-0 home win over Bolton.
Scott Wright (knock) is a doubt after he missed the Blues’ last two matches.
Lee Buchanan (calf), Krystian Bielik, Luke Harris (both ankle) and Alfie Chang (knee) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Mansfield host Birmingham City at Field Mill on Saturday 26 October at 12:30pm BST, live on Sky Sports + in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Mansfield have won just one of four previous league meetings against Birmingham City (W1, D1, L2).
- Birmingham have won one of two previous league trips to Mansfield (W1, L1), having lost 5-2 in April 1990 then won 2-1 in January 1991.
- Both Mansfield and Birmingham have scored in three of their four previous league meetings, except for a goalless draw at St Andrews’ in April 1991.
- Defeat would see Mansfield suffer back-to-back league losses at home for the first time since April 2023.
- Alfie May has produced five goals and three assists in 11 league appearances for Birmingham this season.
Prediction
Only five points off league leaders, Birmingham, Mansfield have to view this game as must-win if want to stay firmly in the automatic promotion mix following a hard-fought midweek win at Wigan.
Birmingham meanwhile might be top but they have just one clean sheet on the road in this season’s third-tier, yet their attacking quality is just dangerous as evidenced by they fought back to comfortably win at Lincoln City last weekend.
I therefore am expecting both teams to score but having already beaten Wycombe and Wrexham this season, Birmingham should just have too much here for the Stags.
Prediction: Mansfield 1-2 Birmingham
Result: Mansfield 1-1 Birmingham