Peterborough United will endeavour to end an abysmal six-game losing run across all competitions when Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s pay a visit to the London Road Stadium for Tuesday's EFL Trophy Southern Section Group D clash.
Both teams lost their opening encounters in the group, with Posh going down 2-1 to Stevenage while Spurs' starlets lost to Wycombe Wanderers on penalties.
Match preview
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From winning five of their opening six games of the new season to enduring a six-match streak without so much as a draw, Grant McCann tried to take the positives from his side's most recent defeat to Bolton Wanderers, with a 1-0 loss befalling Posh.
An 86th-minute strike from substitute Oladapo Afolayan settled the contest in Bolton's favour as Peterborough were consigned to yet another loss in League One, and the newly-relegated side have not exactly taken to life back in the third tier with aplomb.
The hosts will not be afforded any respite during the international break either, as they aim to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Stevenage in their opening EFL Trophy game, which has left them bottom of their section after one game.
Absent from last year's EFL Trophy due to their participation in the Championship, Peterborough have reached the quarter-finals in three of the last four tournaments in which they have been present, and not since 2016-17 have Posh bowed out in the group stage.
Thankfully for the League One side, Tottenham's Under-21s have also failed to stamp their authority in the early periods of the season and are still waiting for their first victory in Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy action this term.
Wayne Burnett's side have gone six games in the Premier League 2 without posting a win so far - drawing three of their first four and now losing two on the bounce to Crystal Palace and Blackburn Rovers, conceding three goals in each of those back-to-back defeats.
Only Manchester United and West Ham United's Under-21s have also failed to win any of their first six league games - with Spurs sitting 12th in the 14-team table as a result - and they went down on penalties to Wycombe in their opening EFL Trophy battle.
Tottenham's prospects made it to the second round of the EFL Trophy in 2018-19 before being seen off 3-0 by Oxford United, and they have since suffered three successive group-stage eliminations, but victory over Peterborough in their inaugural meeting could act as the catalyst for improved fortunes for the young Lilywhites.
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Team News
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Highly-rated Peterborough defender Ronnie Edwards will not be at McCann's disposal this week following his call-up to England's Under-20 team, while striker Joe Taylor will represent Wales' Under-21s.
Finnish goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom and Irish midfielder Jack Taylor are reportedly on standby for their respective national teams, while Oliver Norburn (knee) and Harvey Cartwright (thigh) are both absent.
It remains to be seen if defender Nathan Thompson will be cleared to return after a recent head injury, but Frankie Kent is waiting in the wings to deputise for Edwards.
Meanwhile, Tottenham right-back Kallum Cesay has been called up to the senior Sierra Leone squad for September's games; Tyrell Ashcroft would be a like-for-like replacement, but the 18-year-old came off with an injury 13 minutes into Saturday's loss to Blackburn.
Alfie Dorrington and Brooklyn Lyons-Foster could therefore be forced to deputise in the full-back areas, while Matthew Craig and Aaron Maguire are also on international duty this month.
Jamie Bowden and Alfie Devine's injuries have also thinned the visitors' midfield ranks, so Max Robson should come in for Scotland Under-21s international Craig alongside Harvey White.
Peterborough United possible starting lineup:
Bergstrom; Thompson, Knight, Kent, Tomlinson; Kyprianou, Taylor, Fuchs; Ward, Clarke-Harris, Jones
Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s possible starting lineup:
Hayton; Dorrington, Muir, Fagan-Walcott, Lyons-Foster; White, Robson; Santiago, John, Mundle; Donley
We say: Peterborough United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s
With neither side on top of their game right now and losing players to international duty, fireworks are unlikely to fly at the London Road Stadium, but Jonson Clarke-Harris in particular will need no second invitation to exploit a depleted Spurs backline.
Attacking the wide areas should lead to significant success for Peterborough, with Tottenham particularly light in that area, and we can envisage Posh ending their winless streak at the expense of Spurs'.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
