MK Dons will look to reignite their playoff push when they travel to face fellow mid-table outfit Burton Albion on Saturday afternoon.
Burton themselves hold an outside chance of finishing inside the top six, but will need to improve on performances if they are to do so.
Match preview
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It is four seasons since Burton last competed in the Championship and they will begin the weekend nine points behind those sides in the playoffs.
A positive start to the season was hampered by a run of one win from nine matches between late August and mid-October, leaving Burton with room for improvement.
Unfortunately, that improvement never came, with Burton in the midst of a poor run that has seen them lose six of their previous eight Championship outings.
The most recent of which came away to leaders Rotherham United, where the Brewers were beaten 3-1, extending their run of away matches in the league without a win to four.
Such poor form for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side could continue this weekend, as Burton come up against a side they are winless in the previous four meetings against.
Extending that run will be the target for Liam Manning, who has taken to life in management and will be hoping to end his maiden campaign in charge of MK Dons with promotion glory.
Boasting a game in hand over their playoff rivals, MK Dons currently sit two points off Plymouth Argyle who are in sixth, with Saturday's clash against Burton a chance to reignite their campaign.
One win from their previous four league fixtures has threatened to derail a promising season for MK Dons, but they will maintain hopes of picking up a fourth consecutive victory over Burton when they travel to Staffordshire this weekend.
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Team News
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Having been without seven first-team players for their recent defeat against Oxford United, Manning will hope to welcome back some of his key men.
Troy Parrott is available once again after suspension, whilst Aden Baldwin and Hiram Boateng are also likely to maintain their places in the side.
A Covid-struck MK Dons will likely be without Mo Eisa and Scott Twine, as the pair continue their self-isolation protocols.
For Burton, Louis Moult could feature on the bench for the hosts as he makes his return from a long-term injury.
The positive news continues for Floyd Hasselbaink, who could also call on the services of captain John Brayford and loanee Sam Hughes following a stint out with injuries.
Burton Albion possible starting lineup:
Garratt; Shaughnessy, Leak, Borthwick-Jackson; Hamer, Oshilaja, Taylor, Akins; Chapman, Lakin; Hemmings
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Fisher; Baldwin, O'Hara, Lewington; Watson, McEachran, Robson, Harvie; O'Riley, Parrott, Boateng
We say: Burton Albion 1-2 MK Dons
Neither side can really afford many more slip-ups if they are to achieve their respective ambitions for the campaign.
However, the form book weighs in on MK Dons' favour, with Manning's men likely to pick up another win over Burton this weekend.
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 MK Dons win with a probability of 37.59%. A win for Burton Albion had a probability of 37.04% and a draw had a probability of 25.4%.
The most likely scoreline for a MK Dons win was 0-1 with a probability of 8.65%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.37%) and 0-2 (6.04%). The likeliest Burton Albion win was 1-0 (8.58%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (11.98%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with an 8.7% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for MK Dons in this match and our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted the win for MK Dons.
