Lincoln City play their second successive home match on Saturday (August 17), as they host Barnsley in SkyBet League One action.
The Imps come into this game after Carabao Cup disappointment, falling to the hands of Harrogate Town in a 2-1 defeat on Tuesday night.
The LNER Stadium is expected to be close to full capacity, with a strong away following for Barnsley, too.
Barnsley FC:
The Tykes lost 2-1 to newly-promoted Mansfield Town on the opening day in Darrell Clarke’s first competitive game as manager.
Clarke spent the majority of the 2023/24 season as manager of Cheltenham Town, and fought a hard relegation fight before eventually going down on the final day with defeat to Stevenage.
The South-Yorkshire outfit, Barnsley, finished sixth in the league last year, losing to Bolton Wanderers in the play-off semi final. The current fan expectation is for Barnsley to finish in or around the play-off positions, having lost the likes of Herbie Kane and Devante Cole in the summer, and recruited the likes of club-legend Conor Hourihane.
Team News:
City rotated heavily on Tuesday night, with changes expected again for Saturday’s fixture.
Michael Skubala told BBC Radio Lincolnshire that Conor McGrandlees is “in contention for Saturday” after returning to training this week. However, he added that: “It may be a bit early but we’ll see.”
Ethan Hamilton and Reeco Hackett have both been confirmed as still a way off following their respective injuries. Meanwhile, Paudie O’Connor and Ethan Erhahon were both substituted at half-time on Tuesday, but can be expected to start on Saturday.
Barnsley too rotated heavily for their EFL cup tie against Wigan Athletic midweek, but can be expected to return to full strength for their trip to Sincil Bank.
Head-to-Head:
Saturday’s tie will be the 76th meeting between the two sides, with the first dating back to September 1898. Barnsley have been the more successful side, winning 33 times and drawing 16, with Lincoln City winning 26.
The most recent meeting was success for the Imps, beating Barnsley 5-1 at Oakwell, thanks to goals from Joe Taylor, Danny Mandroiu, Jovon Makama and a brace from Jack Moylan.
The most recent affair at the LNER Stadium resulted in a 2-2 draw after a late equaliser by TJ Eyoma.
Played for Both:
Current Imp midfielder Erhahon spent a short spell on loan at the Tykes while at St Mirren, but only appeared for the under-21 side. The Scottish midfielder appeared 43 times for City last season, and has asserted himself as one of the first names on Skubala’s team sheet.
Jason Shackell spent time at both Lincoln and Barnsley. In 2010, the defender signed for Barnsley from Wolves, and soon after was appointed club captain. Shackell spent one year at Barnsley, winning the player of the year award before signing for Derby.
He eventually finished his career at Lincoln City. During his time at the Imps, Shackell won League Two before announcing his retirement after one year in England’s third tier with Lincoln.
Follow LincSport on Twitter/X for live updates and coverage of Lincoln City vs Barnsley.