Huddersfield Town will travel to the Abbey Stadium on Friday to take on Cambridge United in a game of major importance at both ends of the League One table.
The visitors fell six points behind the automatic promotion spots following a draw at the weekend, while their hosts also shared the points in their last outing to move within four points of safety.
Match preview
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Cambridge United return to the Abbey Stadium on Friday aiming to continue their climb towards escaping the League One relegation zone, having sat in the bottom four for almost the entirety of the campaign thus far.
From their first nine outings, Garry Monk's side only earned a single point to sit at the foot of the division, but they have since moved into a more competitive position by adding 16 points to that tally in 10 further attempts.
In those games, the Us have picked up their first four league wins of the season while only suffering two more defeats, and after the most recent of those, a 3-0 loss to Reading in early December, they have bounced back in impressive fashion heading into Friday's game.
Monk's men hosted fellow strugglers Shrewsbury Town and dished out a 4-1 beating thanks to Shayne Lavery's first-half brace and goals from Dan N'Lundulu and Elias Kachunga, before most recently facing a tough trip to Wrexham last weekend and taking a share of the spoils from a 2-2 draw as Kachunga had them ahead initially before N'Lundulu levelled the scores in the dying minutes.
Having now moved up to 22nd spot thanks to their improvement and within four points of safety, Cambridge United will aim to make it three games unbeaten on Friday and bounce back to winning ways to strengthen their bid to escape the bottom four.
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They face a tough test, though, as the visitors head to the Abbey Stadium aiming to extend a 10-match unbeaten run and ramp up their pursuit of an automatic promotion spot.
Huddersfield Town head into Friday's trip in fourth spot in England's third tier, having bounced back from a tricky start to their return to the division and bid to climb back to the Championship.
After sitting on 12 points from nine league outings, Michael Duff's side have now amassed 24 more from their last 10 games, winning seven of those and drawing three including four straight triumphs over Charlton Athletic, Leyton Orient, Wigan Athletic and Mansfield Town across late November and early December.
Aiming to stretch that run to five straight three-point hauls, the Terriers most recently hosted Lincoln City on Saturday and fell 2-0 behind in the first half, but they were at least able to make it 10 games unbeaten as Brodie Spencer halved the deficit and Callum Marshall forced a share of the spoils with an 89th-minute equaliser.
Having now moved six points clear of seventh spot but fallen six behind second-placed Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town will aim to strengthen their standing in the race for promotion with a 12th league win of the campaign.
Team News
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Garry Monk could field an unchanged Cambridge United starting XI from last weekend's draw away at Wrexham, with James Gibbons and Paul Digby likely remaining sidelined by injuries.
Jubril Okedina returned from a suspension for that trip and should again join Michael Morrison and Kelland Watts in a back three on Friday, while Korey Smith and Jordan Cousins will continue their partnership in the engine room.
Despite competition from Sullay Kaikai, Shayne Lavery, Dan N'Lundulu and Elias Kachuga should again line up in a front three, having netted a combined tally of six goals across the Us' last two outings.
Huddersfield Town are set to remain without goalkeeper Lee Nicholls, defenders Tom Lees and Mickel Miller midfielders Jonathan Hogg and Antony Evans and attacker Rhys Healey due to injuries on Friday, while Lasse Sorensen and Matty Pearson are fresh concerns after being forced off with knocks against Lincoln.
If Lees is unable to return, Pearson will likely be replaced by Brodie Spencer in a back three, while Oliver Turton should again start in a right wing-back role as Sorensen's eased return from a long injury layoff continues.
In the absence of Hogg and Evans, Ben Wiles, David Kasumu and Herbie Kane will continue in the midfield, while Danny Ward and Josh Koroma face competition from Callum Marshall and Freddie Ladapo for their spots up front.
Cambridge United possible starting lineup:
Reyes; Okedina, Morrison, Watts; Bennett, Smith, Cousins, Brophy; Lavery, N'Lundulu, Kachunga
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Chapman; Spencer, Helik, Lonwijk; Turton, Wiles, Kasumu, Kane, Ruffels; Koroma, Marshall
We say: Cambridge United 1-2 Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town certainly face a tough test away at a resurgent Cambridge United side on Friday, but with momentum on their side heading into the festive period, we back them to make their quality count and leave the Abbey Stadium with all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
