Struggling Peterborough United return to League One action on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Luton Town to London Road Stadium, looking to bounce back from their midweek EFL Cup exit and improve their position in the league table.

The Posh, now under the management of Robbie Savage, followed up a draw with Bromley in the league with a 2-0 cup defeat to Bradford City, while the Hatters strengthened their promotion push on Tuesday night by recording a third consecutive victory with a 3-1 win over Doncaster Rovers.

Match preview

Peterborough United parted ways with manager Luke Williams at the end of September after nearly 50 games in charge, with a 2-0 defeat to fellow relegation candidates Doncaster Rovers leaving the Posh second from bottom in League One after collecting just five points from their opening seven matches.

The Cambridgeshire outfit subsequently turned to former Macclesfield and Forest Green Rovers manager Savage, who signed a long-term contract and has since overseen six matches, recording two wins, two draws and two defeats as he looks to steer the club away from the relegation zone.

Savage's second defeat came against League One promotion hopefuls Bradford City in the EFL Cup during the week, as Peterborough were beaten 2-0 at Valley Parade following goals from Macaulay Gillesphey, on a night when Fleetwood Town remarkably eliminated Arsenal on penalties elsewhere in the competition.

Despite the disappointing result, the Posh registered more shots than their opponents and came agonisingly close to finding the net, which should offer some encouragement ahead of Saturday's meeting with a Luton side whose position in the table underlines the challenge Peterborough face.

A return to winning ways could see Peterborough climb as high as 17th in the standings, giving Savage's men an opportunity to build some much-needed momentum and create greater distance between themselves and the relegation places as the season progresses.

However, their defensive record remains a major concern, with the Posh having conceded 21 goals this season, with only two teams in League One conceding more.

Luton Town, meanwhile, arrive at London Road Stadium enjoying their most consistent run of the campaign after putting together three consecutive victories over Barnsley, Leicester City and Doncaster Rovers, while the Hatters have also averaged two goals per game across their last five outings.

Nevertheless, defensive frailties have also been evident for Jack Wilshere's side, who have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last five matches, leaving room for improvement despite their recent success in front of goal.

The Hatters currently sit two places outside the playoff positions and just one point behind sixth-placed Reading, meaning a victory on Saturday could be enough to lift them into the top six as they look to mount a serious challenge for promotion back to the Championship.

Unlike their opponents, Luton were not involved in the EFL Cup during the week and instead played their 12th League One fixture of the season, securing an impressive 3-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers.

Callum Marshall scored his fourth goal of the campaign, and his second in consecutive matches, while Jamie Donley struck twice to help Wilshere's men claim all three points, although a late Bayley McCann goal denied them a clean sheet.

The Hatters now make the short journey north hoping to extend their impressive record against Peterborough, having beaten the Posh twice last season and remained unbeaten against them since November 2018.

Peterborough United League One form:

Peterborough United form (all competitions):

Luton Town League One form:

Luton Town form (all competitions):

Team News

Peterborough United travelled to Bradford City without the suspended Harry Leonard, who remains the competition's top scorer, but the forward is available again for Saturday's league encounter and is expected to return to the starting lineup.

Leonard could replace Danny Ormerod in attack, while Savage is likely to retain Owura Edwards in a wide role as he looks to find the right balance in his side following the midweek cup defeat.

Savage has been unable to call upon Sam Hughes, Rio Adebisi and Ben Woods since taking charge, and the injured trio are expected to remain unavailable for the visit of Luton.

The visitors, meanwhile, will be without Nahki Wells after the forward was forced off during the first half of Tuesday night's victory, with his absence representing a significant blow given that the Bermuda international has scored seven goals in 12 appearances this season.

Tottenham loanee and Northern Ireland international Donley started in midfield against Doncaster and is expected to retain his place after making a decisive contribution with two goals, giving Wilshere another attacking option as Luton look to extend their winning run.

The Hatters will also be without Sverre Sandal, Benedict Benagr, Shayden Morris, Shandon Baptiste, Hakeem Odoffin and Gideon Kodua, leaving Wilshere with several absentees to manage as his side chase a fourth consecutive victory.

Peterborough United possible starting lineup:

Bass; Johnston, Mendonca, O'Connor, Mills; Kelly, Ashfield; Shofowoke, Williams, Edwards; Leonard

Luton Town possible starting lineup:

Shea; Jones, Andersen, Johnston, Naismith; Walsh; Richards, Donley, Mendel, Palmer; Marshall

We say: Peterborough United 0-1 Luton Town

With Peterborough still struggling for consistency near the bottom of the League One table and Luton arriving on the back of three successive victories, the visitors look well placed to continue their strong run of form at London Road.

Although the Hatters have been unable to keep a clean sheet in their last five matches, we expect them to be more assured defensively on Saturday and do enough to secure a narrow victory, extending their impressive unbeaten record against the Posh in the process.

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