Stockport County host Bromley in a massive League One showdown affecting both ends of the table.
Victory could put Stockport top of the table if Plymouth lose at home to Huddersfield and Bradford fail to beat Stevenage.
Team News
Harry Wood is ruled out after he suffered a knock during Stockport’s 3-1 home win over Barnsley last weekend.
Adama Sidibeh (hamstring) and Brad Hills (ACL) both remain absent.
Bromley manager, Andy Woodman is unlikely to hand goalkeeper, Grant Smith a first start of the season, even after he came through their Under-21s Premier League Cup loss to Coventry on Tuesday evening without any issues following a lengthy stress fracture injury.
Richard Taylor featured in that match as he continues to recover from his hamstring injury, but he is unlikely to be rushed back into the senior squad for this game.
Tobias Brennan was also in action as he continues to build his match fitness, and is expected to be amongst Woodman’s options for the teamsheet.
Shamal George (muscle) and Deon Woodman (unspecified) are expected to remain sidelined after the pair weren’t involved in the cup game.
Ashley Charles remains absent with a cruciate injury.
When is Kick-Off?
Stockport host Bromley at Edgeley Park on Saturday 17 October at 3pm BST, untelevised live in the UK.
Stat Attack
- This is Stockport’s first EFL meeting against Bromley, but the Hatters are yet to lose a league meeting against Bromley at any level of the football pyramid (W3, D3) – having met in the National League between 2019-22 seasons.
- Bromley are yet to win away against Stockport in a league fixture (D1, L2).
- Stockport have kept three clean sheets in their six previous league meetings against Bromley
- Kyle Wootton has been involved in eight of Stockport’s 20 league goals this season – having produced seven goals and one assist in nine appearances.
- No Bromley player has created more shots this season than JJ McKiernan (10).
Prediction
After an inconsistent opening six league matches, Stockport have now gone unbeaten in their last three games although their last two have been at home to relegation-battling opposition, which saw contrastable results as they scraped past Peterborough 1-0 then ruthlessly won 3-1 against Barnsley.
Jimmy McNulty’s Hatters therefore will be right up for this game at home as favourites and more so given their head-to-head form against Bromley.
Andy Woodman’s Ravens though are underdogs still and if they can sort out their end product which was still wasteful in their defeat at Mansfield, they might actually spring a surprise here but this is a difficult ask for them especially with three more winnable games next on the horizon.
I however do expect them to still give Stockport a tough scrap such is their graft and fighting spirit, and they might get a point such is the fact that this is the start of three games in a week.
Prediction: Stockport 1-1 Bromley
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