Lincoln City return to the LNER Stadium as interim head coach Tom Shaw leads his side against former Imps manager Michael Appleton’s Charlton Athletic.
“Safe pair of hands” Tom Shaw oversaw a 1-0 victory in his first game in charge, as Alex Mitchell’s early strike proved enough for the three points at Fleetwood Town.
The win lifted Lincoln into 12th in SkyBet League One. Their visitors sit in 10th, but are only ahead of the Imps on goal difference.
Opposition: Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic come into the game in very good form. They’re unbeaten in the seven all competition games that Michael Appleton has took charge of and haven’t lost in the league since August.
Appleton left Lincoln in April of 2022. He followed that up with an unsuccessful reign at Blackpool before taking the Charlton job in September of this year.
His team come into this game off the back of a stellar 4-0 win over Reading and have remarkably scored four goals in three of their last four outings (scoring two in the other).
However, their away form has left a lot to be desired. They’re yet to pick up a win away from The Valley this season.
Team News:
Lincoln forward Reeco Hackett left the field with a knock on Saturday, with the extent of his injury yet to be revealed.
In brighter news for the Imps, Jake Vale was on the bench at Highbury, so could be expected to feature in some capacity on Tuesday night.
Ben House, Tyler Walker and Lewis Montsma remained side-lined with their longer-term injuries.
Charlton midfielder Terry Taylor is out with a long-term ankle injury, so won’t feature in Appleton’s plans for his return to Lincolnshire.
Star-striker Alfie May, who was signed in the summer, has scored eight goals in his 11 league appearance so far this term. He is a danger man for the visitors.
Played for both:
The standout in this category is Charlton boss Michael Appleton, who led the Imps to one of their best league finish in their history when in charge at Sincil Bank.
Elsewhere, centre-back Steve Thompson played over 150 games for the Imps between 1980 and 1985, before moving on to Charlton. He played 95 games for the Addicks, before later returning to Lincoln in 1989.
Goalkeeper Peter Wakeham played for both teams in the 1960s. He spent three years at Charlton before transferring to Lincoln City and playing 44 games for the Imps between 1965 and 1966.
Head-to-Head:
Charlton have been a tough opponent for Lincoln over the years. In their history they have won four, drew five and lost nine against the London outfit.
In recent times it has been a happier story for the Imps. They have won three games against the Addicks since 2020, losing two and drawing the other.
Follow for our live Twitter/X updates on Tuesday night, as well as our match report and post-match interviews.