Leyton Orient will be looking to avoid three-straight defeats in all competitions when they welcome Lincoln City to Brisbane Road on Tuesday night for a rearranged League One fixture.
The O's have adapted well to life back in the third tier of English football after being crowned League Two champions last term, while Lincoln have lofty ambitions of escaping into the Championship.
Match preview
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Leyton Orient suffered their first loss in League One since the end of September, being unable to tame a promotion-chasing Oxford United side at Brisbane Road on November 11, with the O's making a poor start to the match that was reminiscent of their 4-0 battering at the hands of league leaders Portsmouth in August.
A brace from former Notts County attacker Ruben Rodrigues and a Billy Bodin strike had the visiting U's three goals ahead after just 47 minutes in the capital, and despite Fin Stevens netting an own goal and Ruel Sotiriou scoring his sixth of the league term, the hosts were unable to complete an unlikely comeback.
Orient boss Richie Wellens has blamed his side's inexperience at this level during difficult periods at the beginning of the season, but now the East Londoners are finding their feet and points in League One, sitting 13th in the standings, only seven points behind Neill Collins's sixth-placed Barnsley team.
Despite having the likes of former AFC Wimbledon marksman Joe Pigott within their ranks, the O's have struggled to be a free-scoring side at their Brisbane Road home so far this campaign, making the net ripple just eight times in seven matches in front of their own supporters.
With Port Vale trio Alfie Devine, Joshua Thomas and Oliver Arblaster being called up for their respective international duties over the past fortnight - leading to Orient's trip to Vale Park being rescheduled - Wellens's charges have had a two-week break since the loss against Craig Short's U's, and Tuesday's hosts will be desperate to put things right.
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Following the dismissal of former manager Mark Kennedy in October, Lincoln City finally ended their rigorous search for a successor and announced Michael Skubala as the man who will be looking to guide the club towards an unlikely promotion during the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
The former Leeds United Under-21s coach has been credited with nurturing young talents at Elland Road such as Archie Gray and Crysensio Summerville, but the 41-year-old failed to have an immediate impact for the Imps as they travelled to face playoff hopefuls Stevenage on Saturday.
After an encouraging first-half performance at The Lamex Stadium, Lincoln were put under a significant period of pressure by their hosts, which ultimately led to Jamie Reid netting his 11th League One goal of the term, making it four games without a win in the league for the Imps.
With last season's leading scorer Ben House sidelined due to a serious hip injury suffered in August and Jack Diamond returning to parent club Sunderland, Lincoln lost a great deal of attacking threat over the summer, with some sections of the fanbase unhappy that the team's hierarchy failed to react accordingly in the transfer window.
Fans at Brisbane Road on Tuesday night will witness the first meeting between Orient and Lincoln in 17 years, with each of the last three clashes between the two clubs ending in 1-1 draws as they both endured spells in League Two between 2005 and 2006.
Team News
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After recovering from an injury suffered in early October, Leyton Orient midfielder Max Sanders made his first appearance for over a month in the latter stages of the defeat against Oxford last time out.
The Englishman is unlikely to take Idris El Mizouni's starting place on Tuesday night, though, with the Tunisian expected to line up alongside Jordan Brown in the hosts' engine room.
Defender Rob Hunt is another member of the O's squad who escaped the medical room and made the matchday squad on November 11, and the 28-year-old could start on the right of back five in this one.
As for Lincoln, new head coach Skubala will be tasked with imbedding a host of young talents into a possession-based side, with Jack Vale and Jack Burroughs both possessing Championship experience at Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City respectively.
Timothy Eyoma was praised by supporters after a solid defensive performance at Stevenage, and the former Tottenham Hotspur man should partner Adam Jackson and Alexander Mitchell in a back three once again.
With House and Tyler Walker sidelined due to their respective hip and hamstring issues, the Imps will start with Rovers loanee Vale at the focal point of their attack, with 19-year-old Jovon Makama providing another option from the bench.
Leyton Orient possible starting lineup:
Brynn; Cooper, Happe, Turns; James, Brown, Mizouni, Archibald; Sotiriou, Pigott, Drinan
Lincoln City possible starting lineup:
Jensen; Mitchell, Jackson, Eyoma; Sorensen, Hamilton, Erhahon, Burroughs; Adelakun, Vale, Mandroiu
We say: Leyton Orient 2-1 Lincoln City
Leyton Orient have faced promotion chasers Oxford and Portsmouth in their last two matches across all competitions, but the visit of a Lincoln side in transition will offer Wellens's team a good opportunity to grab maximum points.
The Imps showed positive signs in the first half against Stevenage last time out, but we are expecting Skubala to suffer back-to-back losses at the start of his tenure.
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