Bristol Live’s predicted Bristol Rovers team to face Swindon Town as Darrell Clarke’s side look to avoid a tenth consecutive league defeat
Alfie Kilgour of Bristol Rovers and Kacper Łopata of Bristol Rovers celebrate with fans following the EFL League two match between Grimsby Town and Bristol Rovers at Blundell Park on 30 August 2025 in Grimsby, England (Photo by Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
After Tuesday’s “diabolical” performance against Barnet, Bristol Rovers will be looking to bounce back against Swindon Town, as they look to end a nine-match losing streak in League Two.
The dismal run, which is an unwanted club record for consecutive league defeats, has seen the Gas drop from seventh to 22nd. Darrell Clarke’s side sit only a point above the relegation zone, knowing that if Harrogate Town better their result on Saturday, they’ll end the day in the relegation zone.
Saturday is a derby with plenty of storylines, with Swindon manager Ian Holloway returning to the club he played for across two spells in the 1980s and 1990s.
With that said, here is how we think Rovers will set up against the Robins…
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Goalkeeper and defence
It feels strange to praise a goalkeeper who shipped four in one game, but Luke Southwood was arguably Rovers’ best player on Tuesday. He made a number of important saves, and without him, the scoreline could have gotten ugly. The Northern Ireland international is an inked-in starter every week for a struggling side.
Clarke admitted in his Friday press conference that he should have played a back four from the start against Barnet. He switched from a 3-4-2-1 to a 4-3-3 at half-time, which led to the visitors’ best spell of the game for the first 20 minutes after the break.
We still think that the 47-year-old is wedded to this system, though, and with Alfie Kilgour returning, a back five remains likely.
At right wing-back, options are limited with Macauley Southam-Hales and Joel Senior out injured. Taylor Moore has stepped into the role during the last two games and has looked uncomfortable in an unfamiliar position. We think that Joel Cotterill, who started as the right wing-back against Cambridge United in the Vertu Trophy, will return to that role on Saturday.
Meanwhile, we think the three centre-backs will be Kacper Lopata, Tom Lockyer, and Kilgour. Given that Kilgour is available to play, Clarke will be keen to get some physicality restored to his backline, and the 27-year-old’s height and passion are perfect combinations for a big derby game.
Alfie Kilgour celebrates Bristol Rovers’ victory at Grimsby Town(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
At left wing-back, Jack Sparkes will likely keep his place, although Bryant Bilongo has shown he is capable of stepping up on that side if Clarke opts for more pace on the flanks.
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Midfield
Josh McEachran is suspended for this game after picking up five yellow cards in the game before the threshold increased. As a result, Clarke has a selection dilemma in midfield, but there are a few options for him to consider.
Against Port Vale, Clarke selected a midfield three of Kamil Conteh, Luke Thomas, and Cotterill. We think he’ll go for something similar, with Alfie Chang replacing Cotterill, as long as he returns after it was confirmed that he missed the FA Cup game against Port Vale due to illness.
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Attack and striker
Instead of Fabrizio Cavegn as a lone striker, which was the case against Barnet, we think Clarke will go for a front two in search of some better attacking patterns. Callum Morton has had a few cameos since signing at the end of November and has looked energetic, especially in the FA Cup tie at Vale Park.
(Image: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)
With Ellis Harrison likely still out with a hamstring injury, we think Clarke will play Cavegn and Morton as a flexible pairing, with Thomas providing some creativity behind them. It would be an attacking change, but given that Rovers have only managed two goals in their last eight games, it may be required.
Bristol Rovers predicted XI (3-5-2): Luke Southwood, Joel Cotterill, Tom Lockyer, Kacper Lopata, Alfie Kilgour, Jack Sparkes, Kamil Conteh, Alfie Chang, Luke Thomas, Fabrizio Cavegn, Callum Morton.
OPINION
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