Pirates to slip to Valley defeat
Charlton v Bristol Rovers
Charlton will be looking to extend their excellent home record in midweek when they face a Bristol Rovers side who have begun to struggle on their travels.
The Addicks have not lost at the Valley since March and demolished fellow promotion-chasers MK Dons 5-1 in their previous match in south-east London.
Phil Parkinson’s men had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Yeovil on Saturday, though, in what proved to be a mixed afternoon for the Londoners’ Sodje brothers.
Centre-back Sam was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Glovers striker Ryan Mason just shy of the half-hour mark, but his younger sibling Akpo came off the bench to score the Reds’ equaliser with a spectacular long-range effort.
The powerful striker – who is on a month’s loan from Sheffield Wednesday – may now be handed a start on Tuesday night, alongside defender Miguel Llera, who is expected to replace the suspended Sam Sodje in the Charlton back four.
Visiting Rovers are just five points behind the second-placed Addicks having won their last two home games and could jump up to third with a victory.
Yet, the Pirates would be putting even more pressure on their midweek hosts if not for the desertion of their early-season away form.
Paul Trollope’s charges won four of their opening five fixtures on the road but have suffered defeat in their last three, losing to Norwich, Southend and MK Dons.
Chris Dickson will be unable to help Rovers halt their travelling slump, though, as under the terms of his loan deal from Charlton, the livewire forward is prohibited from battling his parent club.
Another man who has links with both camps is Pirates Director of football Lennie Lawrence.
The Brighton-born 61-year-old had a nine-year spell in charge of the Addicks during the Eighties and early Nineties, leading them into to the old First Division in 1986.
But while Lawrence will be desperate for his current club to triumph on Tuesday, it is more likely to be his old one who pick up the points to stay ahead of their promotion-hungry rivals.
Verdict: Charlton 3-1 Bristol Rovers