Carlisle United host Bristol City in League One on Saturday in the first third-tier meeting between these sides since the 2010-11 season.

The visitors have improved somewhat since the sacking of Joey Barton, but fans were left disappointed as they failed to beat Reading in midweek.

Match preview

Confidence was dented further for a Carlisle side not having the best time of it this season, when they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Leyton Orient last weekend.

That was a fourth defeat from four in cup games this season, as Carlisle have fallen at the first hurdle in all three domestic cup competitions, meaning their sole focus from now until the end of the season will be on league matters.

The defeat also condemned Paul Simpson's side to a fifth defeat in six games, as their last league outing saw them also lose to Cambridge United, a result which has kept them in the bottom four.

Carlisle remain level on points with Northampton Town, who are just above the dotted line, and three adrift of Wigan Athletic, Exeter City and Shrewsbury Town.

Simpson's side have played a game more than most of their fellow relegation rivals too, but any sort of result here should move them clear for the time being.

A good omen for Carlisle is that when the sides met in the 2021-22 League Two season, the home side on the day won to nil in both fixtures.

Bristol Rovers also looked shaky on the road in midweek, drawing with a lacklustre Reading side while hardly threatening the Royals' goal all evening.

Despite dropping two points though, the draw still moved Rovers up three places into the top half, and they remain unbeaten under caretaker manager Andy Mangan.

Bringing some consistency to the side is top of the agenda, as Rovers' last eight league games have produced three wins, two draws and three defeats.

Karl Robinson remains the favourite to take over permanently, and there are some concerns that the midweek performance may have damaged Mangan's chances of being given the role full time.

Fears of being sucked into a relegation battle have been eased under Mangan though, as they now find themselves six points clear of the drop zone.

Team News

After picking a strong team for the cup tie against Leyton Orient, is it unlikely that there will be many changes to the Carlisle side from that one.

In defeat to Cambridge in their last league outing, Carlisle had two men sent off, but Jack Armer will return having served his ban in the cup, so he will expect to replace Jack Robinson.

Alfie McCalmont will remain out though, as he will have to serve the second game of a three-match ban for the straight red he received for violent conduct at the Abbey Stadium.

On the injury front, Callum Guy went off in the first half in the capital last weekend, so he is set to miss out here.

After shuffling the pack against non-league opposition in the FA Cup, Mangan made seven changes to his Bristol Rovers side at Reading.

George Friend and Josh Grant came in at full-back to replace James Gibbons and Lewis Gordon and can expect to keep their places in the starting XI.

Anthony Evans was missing from the side though due to injury, and the Rovers faithful will hope to have him available again soon after scoring in three successive games prior to the Reading match.

Luke Thomas kept his place in the side after being drafted in against Whitby after a month out and scoring one of the seven goals in that rout.

Carlisle United possible starting lineup:
Holy; Barclay; Lavelle, Mellish, Armer; McGeouch, Moxon, Butterworth; Maguire, Garner, Gibson

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Cox; Grant, Taylor, Wilson, Friend; Thomas, Finley, Woods, Collins; Martin, Brown

We say: Carlisle United 1-1 Bristol Rovers

There are often plenty of goals when these sides meet, as the last 11 head-to-heads have produced a whopping 36 goals.

Neither of the two sides are in the best form though, so a close, cagey affair could be in store which may see the spoils shared.


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