Fleetwood v Rochdale preview

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Stephen Jordan has been ruled out for Fleetwood when they welcome Rochdale to Highbury.

The full-back pulled up with a hamstring strain when the Cod Army recorded a magnificent 2-1 victory away at Sheffield United last weekend and this clash will come too soon for him.

Antoni Sarcevic also misses out again after the midfielder saw his suspension extended to include the fixtures with the Blades and Dale.

Fellow midfielder Jeff Hughes is still out with a knock, joining Danny Andrew (knee) and Jamille Matt (leg) on the sidelines.

Rochdale midfielder Stephen Dawson is pushing for a return to the starting line-up following his recent calf injury.

Dawson was back on the bench for last week’s win against Colchester and suffered no reaction after playing the final 20 minutes.

Olly Lancashire (ankle) has missed the last four games and will be monitored, while fellow defender Joe Rafferty was absent last week due to a hamstring problem and remains doubtful.

Striker Calvin Andrew had minor knee surgery last week and will be out for another month, but boss Keith Hill has no new injury or suspension problems.

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Fleetwood v Rochdale preview

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New loan signing Adam Barton could make his Fleetwood debut for top-of-the-table Rochdale’s visit to Highbury.

The midfielder, borrowed from Coventry, joined Graham Alexander’s men on a busy Thursday which also saw winger Josh Morris extending his stay from Blackburn for the rest of the season and striker Mikael Mandron return to Sunderland.

Barton’s arrival softens the potential blow of Steven Schumacher’s absence again after the midfielder missed Tuesday’s win over Bristol Rovers with a bruised foot.

Jeff Hughes is another absentee in the middle of the park with a broken leg back in January ending his season prematurely.

Rochdale will be without Scott Hogan again at promotion rivals Fleetwood.

But leading goalscorer Hogan is not expected to miss the rest of the season with the knee injury that has kept him out of the last five matches.

Manager Keith Hill, who brought in Sean McGinty on loan from Sheffield United on Thursday, recalled George Donnelly to his starting line-up in place of Joe Bunney for the midweek win against Portsmouth and must decide who to start alongside Ian Henderson.

Matty Lund is expected to keep his place in midfield as Hill’s table-toppers, who have kept three successive clean sheets, bid for a fifth straight league win.

Fleetwood v Rochdale preview

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Fleetwood manager Graham Alexander has no new injury concerns.

Four games of the Cod Army’s debut Football League campaign remain and victory over Keith Hill’s lower mid-table dwellers would appear to be vital if they are to secure a play-off place.

Town lie three points behind Exeter in seventh having played a game more.

Andy Mangan is set to feature in the matchday squad once more having been named among the substitutes for Fleetwood’s back-to-back draws against Gillingham and Southend.

Mangan recently returned from six months on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.

Defender Rob Atkinson, who re-established himself as a first-team fixture under Alexander’s management having spent the early part of the season on loan at Accrington, remains out due to a groin problem.

Terry Gornell could push for a return to the Rochdale starting line-up.

Former Shrewsbury forward Gornell has been sidelined with a groin problem in recent weeks but looked on from the bench as his team-mates completed a dramatic late 2-1 victory at Exeter on Easter Monday.

Joe Thompson had a positive impact as a second-half substitute against the Grecians but his second spell at Spotland was cut short on Thursday when he was recalled by parent club Tranmere to help remedy the Merseysiders’ growing injury crisis.

Joe Rafferty may replace Kevin McIntyre in defence.

McIntyre was culpable when Jamie Cureton but Exeter ahead on the stroke of half-time, persuading boss Keith Hill to give the 19-year-old his first action in almost two months.