Salford City is gearing up to take on Cheltenham Town in the FA Cup second round this Saturday at the Peninsula Stadium. The Ammies secured their spot in round two by defeating Shrewsbury, while the Robins started their FA Cup journey with a win against Rotherham United.
Salford, who last reached the second round in the 2021-22 season, are coming off a victory over Shrewsbury where Matty Lund’s brace sealed the deal. Despite their success in the FA Cup, Salford has been struggling in the league, only managing to pick up two points in their last three matches in League Two. Currently sitting in 15th place, Salford will be aiming for a win to advance to the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history.
On the other hand, Cheltenham defeated Rotherham in the first round and have been on a seven-game unbeaten run before their recent loss to MK Dons. The Robins bounced back with a win against Tranmere Rovers, positioning them in 14th place with the same number of points as Salford. With an impressive away record, having won three of their last four competitive matches on the road, Cheltenham will be looking to secure a victory at Salford’s home ground.
In terms of team news, Salford will be missing several key players like Dan Chesters, Ryan Watson, James Chester, and Hakeeb Adelakun, while Tyrese Fornah and Matty Young are back in contention. Kylian Kouassi is expected to lead the line for Salford, aiming to continue his scoring form. Cheltenham, on the other hand, will be without Ryan Haynes and Harry Pell, with Levi Laing still recovering from a knee injury.
Possible lineups for the match include Jones; Mnoga, Tilt, Negru; Lund, Ashley, Fornah, Garbutt; Woodburn; N’Mai; Kouassi for Salford and Day; Payne, Bennett, Stubbs, Bradbury; Young, Kinsella; Thomas, Colwill, Archer; Miller for Cheltenham.
In our prediction, we foresee a 2-1 victory for Salford City against Cheltenham Town, considering Salford’s recent success against the Robins at home. The Ammies will be looking to capitalize on their previous win at the Peninsula Stadium earlier in the season.
