Fleetwood Town host Bristol Rovers this Saturday in a League Two fixture that could help define their season. The Cod Army, currently 18th in the league table with 14 points from 13 games, are looking to build on the momentum from their historic Carabao Cup draw with Arsenal. Their record of three wins, five draws and five losses leaves them 14 points behind the leaders.

Matt Lawlor's side are just two points behind their visitors, who sit 15th. A win could lift Fleetwood out of the bottom half and provide a vital boost ahead of a busy November, which includes a trip to league leaders Mansfield Town.

Team news and suspensions

Fleetwood will be without defender Kofi Balmer, who serves a one-match suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the campaign. Bristol Rovers have a more extensive injury list, with up to six players potentially unavailable. Jack Aitchison and Riley Harbottle are not expected back until December, while Tommy Leigh is serving a four-match ban. Striker Ellis Harrison missed their last match through injury and Shaq Forde is one booking away from a suspension.

Recent form

Fleetwood's form has been mixed, with one win, two draws and two losses in their last five league outings. Their most recent result was a 1-1 draw with Premier League giants Arsenal in the cup, where Aaron Loupalo-Bi opened the scoring. That result on Tuesday 27 October followed a 2-1 defeat away at Exeter City on Saturday 24 October, where Ronan Coughlan was on target. Prior to that, they suffered a 4-2 loss at Cheltenham on Tuesday 20 October, but had beaten Rotherham 2-0 on Saturday 17 October. Bristol Rovers ended a four-game losing streak last weekend with a 0-0 draw against Swindon Town. They have lost their previous four away league matches, their only victory on the road this term coming at Crawley Town in August.

Fleetwood have conceded 17 goals this season while scoring 15, giving them a goal difference of minus two. The club will hope to use the positive energy from their cup exploits to secure three valuable league points on Saturday afternoon at Highbury Stadium. The reverse fixture at the Memorial Stadium in February is one of several key upcoming fixtures for both clubs as they aim to climb the table.