After a weekend of FA Cup action, League Two football will return in midweek when Newport County host Sutton United at Rodney Parade.
The hosts enjoyed a weekend off and head into this fixture fresher, while their opponents were knocked out and will be keen to get back to winning ways.
Match preview
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Newport County were previously in action last Friday, having yet to play a match in this festive month which should bring a relative amount of freshness to the squad in this match.
However, after three games without a victory, the club will be keen to get back to winning ways immediately on Tuesday, especially against a team just above them.
There is only four points separating the two at the moment, with Newport sitting just outside of the playoffs and a win in midweek has the potential to put them into it if other results go their way.
James Rowberry's side head into this following consecutive 1-1 draws and they will be hoping to find that cutting edge in order to just edge things this time out.
The Exiles have already found the back of the net 30 times in League Two this season, which should provide plenty of confidence offensively and that could aid them against Sutton United.
Matt Gray's men suffered a defeat at the hands of Bristol Rovers on Saturday, ending their FA Cup journey in the second round, despite the fact they took the lead in the game through Will Randall.
The 2-1 loss was the first time they had been beaten in three games and Sutton will be hoping to quickly get things back on track this Tuesday.
After two cup games in a row, this will mark their return to League Two football, and considering the fact they are in the playoffs at the moment, there is plenty to fight for.
A victory has the potential to put them second place in the league depending on other results, meaning there is a lot on the line for them in this match.
Sutton United have tended to either be brilliant or poor this season, having won 10 matches but lost seven, with no team in the playoffs having been beaten more.
However, the fact they have picked up so many victories is something that has served them well and if Gray's squad can continue to secure a run of form, they will provide a threat at the top of the table.
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Team News
Newport County will benefit from bringing several players back on Tuesday as Matty Dolan will once again be available after a recent head injury.
Meanwhile Ed Upson will also be available for selection if needed after he was unavailable recently due to suspension, providing further options.
Sutton United shuffled the deck during their previous two fixtures due to them being cup games, with Gray clearly trying to balance fitness and game time for everybody.
However, he will now be looking to start a more settled XI as the club looks to put together a run again in League Two, although the likes of Randall and Kenny Davis are set to keep their places.
Newport County possible starting lineup:
Day; Clarke, Dolan, Demetriou; Norman, Azaz, Upson, Cooper, Haynes; Telford, Baker-Richardson
Sutton United possible starting lineup:
Bouzanis; Barden, Goodlife, John, Milsom; Ajiboye, Davis, Eastmond, Randall; Bugiel, Olaofe
We say: Newport County 1-2 Sutton United
Both teams have been strong this season, which is why they are in the mix for a potential promotion from League Two, being in the top half of the table.
There is a lot to play for in this game in regards to the playoff positions, but with Sutton United having had a stronger start to the season, they should be the favourites to win here.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Newport County win with a probability of 45.32%. A win for Sutton United had a probability of 28.31% and a draw had a probability of 26.4%.
The most likely scoreline for a Newport County win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.6%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.01%) and 2-0 (8.35%). The likeliest Sutton United win was 0-1 (8.7%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.51%). The actual scoreline of 3-2 was predicted with a 2.3% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Newport County would win this match.
