Neil Harris will take charge of his first game as Cambridge United manager on Saturday, when the U's travel to the Valley to take on Charlton Athletic.

Harris inherits a side sat 18th in the League One table following three straight defeats, while their hosts sit 10th in the midst of a four-match unbeaten run.

Match preview

Charlton Athletic return to League One action on Saturday with the aim of continuing a positive run of form in England's third tier, having now gone four games unbeaten under Michael Appleton.

After only managing a disappointing tally of 18 points from their first 14 outings, initially under Dean Holden and following Appleton's September appointment, the Addicks have added eight more points to their tally in the last four attempts, beginning with impressive results away at Wigan Athletic and leaders Portsmouth as they beat the former 3-2 and took a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw with the latter.

Then following an FA Cup replay win over Cray Valley Paper Mills and an EFL Trophy victory against Sutton United, the London outfit returned to league action away at Carlisle United and had to settle for a point from another 1-1 draw, having initially gone ahead through Corey Blackett-Taylor, before most recently picking up a seventh third-tier win of the season with a 2-1 triumph at home to Cheltenham Town last Tuesday, as Alfie May netted both goals from the penalty spot.

The Addicks have been busy in cup action again since, too, albeit to much less avail, as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Gillingham in the FA Cup second round last weekend, before most recently falling short in a penalty shootout to bow out of the EFL Trophy in the second round after a 1-1 draw in normal time.

Now with their focus fully on their League One pursuits with a seven-point gap up to the playoff spots, Charlton Athletic will aim to keep building momentum and further strengthen their position in the top half with another triumph on home turf at the weekend.

They meet a Cambridge United side who are seeking a positive start under new manager Neil Harris after a tough start to the campaign.

Following their 20th-placed finish in League One last time around, the U's managed just 20 points from their opening 19 matches under Mark Bonner, only leading the relegation zone by four points with only three sides scoring fewer than their 14 goals.

That difficult run culminated in three straight defeats in November, as they lost 5-0, 2-1 and 3-0 to Peterborough United, Northampton Town and Lincoln City respectively, spelling the end of Bonner's tenure which lasted almost four years at the Abbey Stadium.

Then on the back of a 4-0 thrashing of Fleetwood Town in the FA Cup second round last weekend, under the temporary stewardship of Barry Corr, as Danny Andrew, Elias Kachunga, Fejiri Okenabirhie and Gassan Ahadme all got on the scoresheet, the club hierarchy turned to former Millwall, Cardiff City and Gillingham boss Neil Harris to take the reins on Wednesday and lead the club's bid to climb the League One table.

With some renewed confidence from the impressive cup triumph, and the aim of starting strongly under their new boss, Cambridge United will aim to make it back-to-back victories when they travel to The Valley on Saturday.

Team News

Charlton Athletic are not expected to be dealing with any new injury issues, although they do remain without goalkeeper Harry Isted, midfielder Terry Taylor and attacker Chuks Aneke with the trio confined to the treatment room, while Miles Leaburn is also not expected to return in time after missing their last two games.

Alfie May will continue to play a starring role in attack, having notched up 18 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions since his summer arrival at the Valley, including a league-high tally of 14 in just 17 League One appearances, and he could again operate just off a lone striker with Slobodan Tedic expected to lead the line in Leaburn's absence.

Corey Blackett-Taylor is another danger man going forward, having netted seven goals of his own this season from the engine room, while George Dobson and Scott Fraser should again line up in midfield with Lloyd Jones and Michael Hector set to partner up at the heart of the back four.

We are yet to see how Neil Harris will line his new Cambridge United side up, although he is unlikely to stray far from the team that dished out a 4-0 beating to Fleetwood Town in the FA Cup last weekend.

There is competition in attack, though, as Fejiri Okenabirhie was preferred up front over Gassan Ahadme, with both getting on the scoresheet, and Elias Kachunga may be shifted out to the wing to accommodate both centrally on Saturday.

Paul Digby and George Thomas should again partner up in the engine room in a 4-2-3-1 shape, while Jubril Okedina will again join veteran Michael Morrison at the heart of the back four.

Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:
Maynard-Brewer; Watson, Hector, Jones, Edun; Fraser, Dobson; Campbell, May, Blackett-Taylor; Tedic

Cambridge United possible starting lineup:
Stevens; Bennett, Okedina, Morrison, Andrew; Digby, Thomas; Kachunga, Okenabirhie, Kaikai; Ahadme

We say: Charlton Athletic 2-1 Cambridge United

While Cambridge United may feel some renewed confidence and optimism following their big cup win and the appointment of a new boss, they face a tough test away at a Charlton Athletic side with superior quality, and we back Appleton's men to take all three points at the Valley.


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