Burton Albion shall be attempting to continue their three-match undefeated run on Saturday when they host AFC Wimbledon at the Pirelli Stadium.
The visitors currently sit just above the League One relegation zone, and they are without a win in six matches across all competitions.
Match preview
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Burton Albion have kickstarted 2022 in an undefeated fashion, which brought an end to their three-match run without a victory that they ended 2021 with.
The club have won twice and drawn once, proving their attacking abilities within each game as they have scored eight times within this period.
Despite falling behind in the third minute last weekend, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's team responded well with goals from Tom Hamer, John Brayford, and Jonathan Smith securing the 3-1 result.
Burton currently sit mid-table in 12th place, but a victory on Saturday could take them as high as ninth, which will provide some incentive to the squad.
With the Brewers just eight points away from a playoff position, a string of results could see them challenge for promotion this season, but consistency will be crucial to that goal.
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On the other hand, their opponents are hoping to pick up results in order to move up the table and away from the relegation zone, which they are hovering over right now.
There is just three points separating them and the bottom four now, which is a concern for the club, although they have been stronger on the road this season than at home.
Mark Robinson's men are without a win in six matches, which is something they will want to put right sooner than later, with Saturday being the ideal time for that to take place.
However, they have showcased defensive improvements as of late, keeping consecutive clean sheets in their previous outings against Morecambe and Portsmouth, but they must do more in order to turn their draws into victories.
Wimbledon have shared the spoils nine times already this season, one of which took place the last time they faced Burton, when a 90th-minute goal from Luke McCormick helped them take a point.
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Team News
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Sam Hughes was able to make his return to the Burton starting lineup last weekend following a long spell out of action due to a knee injury, and he should now retain his spot in the side.
Both Conor Shaughnessy and Jacob Maddox missed out during that encounter with Gillingham due to knocks, and their status is not fully clear heading into Saturday's match.
Following another clean sheet, it is unlikely that Wimbledon will be making any defensive changes this weekend, with the same back four expected to start.
This is due to the fact that Henry Lawrence has suffered a hamstring injury, while Ben Heneghan recently tested positive for COVID-19, meaning his potential inclusion will depend on a negative test and his overall fitness.
Aaron Pressley is also suffering from a hamstring injury that is set to keep him out for another couple of weeks, while Anthony Hartigan has recently had some stomach problems, but he has been training this week.
Burton Albion possible starting lineup:
Garratt; Hughes, Brayford, Oshilaja; Borthwick-Jackson, O'Connor, Taylor, Powell, Hamer; Jebbison, Ahadme
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Tzanev; Alexander, Nightingale, Csoka, Osew; Woodyard, Marsh; Rudoni, McCormick, Mebude; Palmer
We say: Burton Albion 2-0 AFC Wimbledon
Wimbledon desperately need to secure some points at the moment due to the fact a loss could drop them into the relegation zone, but this fixture will not be an easy one.
Burton are enjoying a great start to the New Year, and with their current confidence, that could see them secure a victory, especially due to their attacking abilities.
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 Burton Albion win with a probability of 52.61%. A draw had a probability of 24.2% and a win for AFC Wimbledon had a probability of 23.14%.
The most likely scoreline for a Burton Albion win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.23%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.67%) and 2-0 (9.42%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.52%), while for an AFC Wimbledon win it was 0-1 (6.88%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with an 11.5% likelihood.
