The oldest football competition in the world gets underway later this week for clubs across the English Football League, with League Two side Bristol Rovers welcoming third-tier Cambridge United to the Memorial Stadium in the FA Cup first round.

The Gas are currently enduring a seven-game winless run in all competitions and face a U's side managed by Neil Harris, who saw his team thrash Brighton & Hove Albion Under-21s 6-0 in the EFL Trophy earlier this week.

Match preview

Hoping to reach the second round of the FA Cup for the second consecutive campaign, Bristol Rovers head into Friday night's encounter without a victory since beating Exeter City 1-0 in September.

Steve Evans, who is approaching one year in charge of Bristol Rovers, guided the Gas to a mid-table finish last season after overseeing a nine-game unbeaten run to end the campaign, although they were unable to mount a serious challenge for the playoff places.

Their encouraging form towards the end of last season initially carried into the 2026-27 campaign, with Rovers sitting third in League Two at the end of September after winning five of their opening eight matches.

However, since closing out that month with a narrow victory over the Grecians, Evans's side have endured a miserable October, suffering defeats to Barnet, Shrewsbury Town, Salford City and Fleetwood Town.

That poor run has seen the Gas fall out of the automatic promotion places and slide to 17th in the table, with their 16 points leaving them just four clear of the relegation zone.

Returning to the Memorial Stadium for the first time since their goalless draw with Swindon Town, Rovers will hope some FA Cup magic can help end their three-game winless run at home and rediscover the form that saw them set a club-record 11 consecutive victories on their own turf.

As for Cambridge United, they enter the FA Cup as a League One side for the first time since 2024, having secured an immediate return to the third tier last season by finishing third in League Two with 82 points.

Under former Millwall and Gillingham manager Harris, the U's have adapted well to life back in League One and currently sit just one point outside the playoff places, having collected 21 points from five wins, six draws and three defeats.

Despite their encouraging start, Cambridge are without a league victory in four matches, with draws against Wycombe Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday coming alongside defeats to Plymouth Argyle and Leyton Orient.

However, following their loss at Brisbane Road to close out October, the U's returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion earlier this week, securing progression from Southern Group G in the EFL Trophy with a 6-0 demolition of Brighton & Hove Albion Under-21s at Cledara Abbey Stadium where Callum Stead scored twice in the convincing victory, while the visitors also had a player sent off.

With no league fixture for more than two weeks, Harris will be keen for his side to build on that momentum by reaching the second round of the FA Cup before turning their attention back to League One, where Cambridge will also be looking to cut down on the number of draws that have hindered their progress, having shared the points more often than any other side in the division.

The sides last met in the FA Cup in December 1971, when the Pirates claimed a 3-0 victory over Cambridge in the second round.

Bristol Rovers form (all competitions):

Cambridge United form (all competitions):

Team News

Having faced a Fleetwood Town side who produced a shock victory over Arsenal in the EFL Cup just days earlier, Bristol Rovers could name an unchanged starting XI, provided there are no fresh injury concerns.

Captain Alfie Kilgour is expected to remain at the heart of a back three, flanked by Keenan Gough and Irish defender Ciaran Kelly.

Club top scorer Fabrizio Cavegn should lead the line, while Jack Sparkes is likely to retain his place in midfield.

Cambridge, meanwhile, are expected to make several changes to the side that featured in the EFL Trophy during the week, although Harris could still hand opportunities to fringe players against opposition from the division below.

Jake Eastwood has been the U's first-choice goalkeeper this season but could make way for 22-year-old Gabriel Breeze, who kept a clean sheet against Brighton's youth side on Tuesday night.

Ben Knight was absent from the squad for that EFL Trophy victory but could return to the attack, with former Barnet forward Stead expected to lead the line once again.

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:

Young; Gough, Kilgour, Kelly; James, Smallwood, Mola, Sparkes; Forde, Cavegn, Appiah

Cambridge United possible starting lineup:

Breeze; Heffernan, Watts, Perry; Bennett, Hoddle, McLoughlin, Bradshaw; Knight, Stead, Heath

We say: Bristol Rovers 0-3 Cambridge United

Although neither side enjoyed a particularly impressive October, Cambridge will take confidence from their emphatic EFL Trophy victory earlier this week.

We expect the difference in league positions to prove decisive on Friday night, with the visitors securing a comfortable win to progress to the second round of the FA Cup.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.