Bristol R v Accrington preview

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Bristol Rovers manager John Ward is hopeful Matt Harrold will return to face Accrington on Tuesday night.

The former Wycombe forward missed Saturday’s 3-1 win over Newport with a knee injury but the Pirates are optimistic he will be able to return against James Beattie’s men.

Elliot Richards netted in that victory over the Exiles but limped off with 13 minutes to go with a hamstring injury and Rovers’ medical staff will assess the 22-year-old in the build up to kick-off.

New signing Kaid Mohamed is set to retain his place in the side. The 29-year-old Port Vale loanee marked his debut with the opening goal on Saturday.

Lee Molyneux will hope to make his second Accrington debut after returning on loan.

The midfielder, voted Stanley’s player of the year last season before leaving for Crewe, was due to feature at the weekend but the home clash against Bury was called off.

Accrington boss James Beattie may have to again go without a goalkeeper on the substitutes’ bench because Andrew Dawber has a thigh problem.

Beattie will otherwise have a fully-fit squad to select from, although striker Marcus Carver had to be recalled from a loan spell at non-league Fylde last week due to a shin injury.

Bristol R v Accrington preview

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Bristol Rovers have no new injury worries as they welcome Stanley looking to extend their unbeaten run at the Memorial Ground to seven games.

Captain Tom Parkes and former Sunderland striker Oumare Tounkara are expected to keep their places in the Pirates’ starting line-up after returning to the side in the 0-0 draw at Southend last weekend.

Welsh winger Ellis Harrison is also available for manager John Ward as his side look to finish in the top half of League Two having been rock-bottom on Boxing Day.

Defender Danny Woodards has been sidelined for up to nine months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury while long-term injury absentees Matt Harrold, Garry Kenneth and Seanan Clucas remain out with similar injuries.

Accrington striker Francis Jeffers remains an injury doubt.

Jeffers has been sidelined since sustaining the problem in the 1-0 defeat to Gillingham last month and boss Leam Richardson revealed the former Everton and Arsenal man is champing at the bit.

“It would be a huge boost to have him available,” Richardson told Stanley’s official website. “He has trained a bit this week and we continue to monitor him, but whether he is match fit we will see.

“It’s a constant conversation we are having and hopefully we can look at him for the weekend and if not that then fingers crossed he’ll be available for Oxford.”

Fellow hamstring victim Nicky Hunt made an ahead-of-schedule return to Accrington’s matchday squad for last Friday’s 2-0 win over Morecambe and the defender is expected to be involved once more.

The Reds are unbeaten in their past four games and, after just one defeat in seven, head into the penultimate game of the season three points above the relegation zone.