MK Dons will be aiming to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions when they host Crewe Alexandra in a League Two fixture at Stadium MK on Sunday.
The two sides are separated by six places, with the Dons sitting fourth in the table having amassed 35 points, while the visitors are further down in 11th place with 30 points.
Match preview
MK Dons continued their unimpressive showing in December, with their latest match ending in a 2-0 loss against Notts County on Boxing Day.
The defeat, their third in a row in the league, is in contrast to the form they consistently showed since Scott Lindsey was appointed head coach in late September.
The former Crawley Town manager rallied his troops to record a string of good results in his first 10 matches in charge - a run that included seven victories, two draws and just one defeat.
In that period, the Milton Keynes-based team plundered 17 goals; while the goals have not dried up, the Dons have not done a good job of shutting out opponents - a weakness exemplified by the 38 goals conceded so far.
In their latest three-game winless streak, the home side have shipped nine goals — only one fewer than the total number of goals conceded during Lindsey's tenure before the dip in form.
However, the Dons have one of the best home records in the league, with six wins, two draws and four losses, racking up 20 points on their turf.
Lindsey's men will be confident of claiming all three points, having beaten the visitors in their last two trips to Stadium MK.
Should the Dons emerge victorious on Sunday, they could move to ninth position in the table, but that is contingent on Salford City and Bradford City losing their respective matches.
Elsewhere, Crewe Alexandra are winless in their last two league matches, drawing one and losing the other, and they will be aiming to avoid back-to-back league defeats for the first time since their first two games of the season.
In their last outing, the Railwaymen were edged 2-1 by Cheltenham Town at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium on Thursday.
With that loss, the automatic promotion bid of Lee Bell's team suffered another setback; however, their charge for a League One spot is still alive, as the away side are only a point behind Doncaster Rovers, who occupy the final automatic spot with 36 points.
Although Bell's team have a solitary victory in their last five away exertions in the league, the Cheshire-based team have recorded decent results on their travels this campaign.
In 11 fixtures away from the Mornflake Stadium, Bell's team have claimed four wins, four draws and only three losses.
A win in this fixture will give the visitors their first victory at Stadium MK since April 2021.
Team News
Although MK Dons have a fully fit squad with no suspensions, Lindsey could make some changes to the starting XI in light of their current dismal run.
Nevertheless, top marksman Alex Gilbey, who has scored nine goals this season, is expected to feature from the first blast of the whistle.
Similarly, Luke Offord, Nico Lawrence and Laurence Maguire are expected to form the back three, while Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Joe Tomlinson should both be named in the starting XI as wing-backs.
As for the visitors, Shilow Tracey and Jack Lankester should form the attacking partnership up front — the pair have 10 goals between them this season.
Filip Marschall is the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper and he is expected to keep his place between the sticks.
Jack Powell, who is back in action after a year on the sidelines due to a ruptured ACL, should also make the cut.
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
McGil; Maguire, Offord, Lawrence; Tomlison, Robson, Grant, Lemonheigh-Evans; Gilbey, Holland; Grigg
Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:
Marschall; Connolly, Demetriou, Williams; Cooney, Holicek, Powell, Tabiner, Conway; Tracey, Lankester
We say: MK Dons 1-1 Crewe Alexandra
Although the visitors have fared better than the hosts this season, their inability to secure a victory at Stadium MK since April 2021 could be the impetus the home team needs to go all out for an outright win.
However, the decent away results of the visiting team cannot be overlooked. Thus, we reckon this match will end in a 1-1 draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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