It has been dubbed as the "El Glosico" for a few years now. But the rivalry between Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers is still as fiery as it can get.

Wade Elliott was a former Forest Green Rovers player towards the end of his playing career - but now he hopes to rub salt into the wound as he looks to take the Robins to 50 points to ensure survival with the hope that other results this weekend go Cheltenham's way.

Duncan Ferguson meanwhile will be hoping that his Forest Green side can show pride and commitment in a local derby - he will have to use his playing experience of Merseyside Derbies to try and inspire his players to get a result and try to do the league double over the Robins.

 

  • TEAM NEWS

Cheltenham Town

Midfielder James Olayinka will most likely miss the remaining four games for the Robins after he was stretchered off in the second-half of the entertaining 2-2 draw with MK Dons due to an ankle injury.

Liam Sercombe was also unavailable for Wade Elliott's side last weekend, but the 32-year-old will be touch and go as to whether he is available for the derby this weekend.

Apart from that, the Robins have a fresh squad to choose from - with Forest Green needing to be aware of the dynamic duo of Alfie May and Aidan Keena - a relationship that has blossomed since the Irishman's club-record arrival from Sligo Rovers in the January transfer window.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS

Forest Green will be travelling to Cheltenham without Everton loanee Tyler Onyango and forward Jahmari Clarke, with the latter returning to his parent club Reading after suffering a torn tendon. Onyango has also returned to his parent club following a hamstring injury.

Those are the only absentees from Duncan Ferguson's squad, but four players are one more yellow card away from a suspension - those are left-back Jamie Robson, Dominic Bernard, Brandon Cooper, Oliver Casey and Harvey Bunker.

Cheltenham will need to be aware of Jordan Garrick, one of Rovers' stand-out players since joining permanently from Swansea in January, and on-loan Brentford midfielder Myles Peart-Harris, who has had an outstanding season despite Forest Green's relegation back to League Two.

  • Likely Line-ups

Cheltenham Town:

Southwood, Jackson, Long, Taylor, Freestone, Ferry, Rea, Bonds, Broom, Keena, May

Forest Green Rovers:

Doohan, Godwin-Malife, Casey, Cooper, Robson, Peart-Harris, McGeouch, Bunker, Garrick, Bakayoko, Savage

  • Key Players

Cheltenham Town - Alfie May

The only obvious choice of a dangerman for Cheltenham. Their top scorer once again this season, Alfie May is considered a legend for his success at the club by Cheltenham Town faithful, and he is bound sure to be fired up considering the context of the game.

He will be a key target for many clubs in the summer not only for his goalscoring ability - also his leadership, the way he communicates with his teammates and his work rate on and off the ball.

He will be hoping to add to his 16 League goals for the campaign this season.

Forest Green Rovers - Myles Peart-Harris

For his first season out on loan, Peart-Harris has been the standout player for Rovers despite the outcome of their season. An attacking midfielder who can score goals and create chances out of nothing, only Connor Wickham (who is now at Cardiff) has more league goals for Forest Green this season than Peart-Harris.

He also has set-piece ability. It was his free-kick that led to the goal that won the derby for the Nailsworth side back in December, and he will be the man to stop in the midfield - as everything will go through him.

It's no wonder why Brentford signed him from the Chelsea academy - they see him as a bright prospect and Thomas Frank will be delighted at the progress he has made in League One this season.

Robins hoping for revenge

Wade Elliott's side will be looking at this fixture as a massive opportunity - not only to produce a performance at home for their fans to be proud of - but also an opportunity to get one over their rivals after losing the reverse fixture 1-0 at the New Lawn back in December. That victory for Forest Green is one of their six victories they've had all season.

Alfie May is a striker who is adored by Cheltenham fans, and he'll be hoping to add to his 16 League One goals this season as the Robins hope to reach the sacred 50 point mark in this division.

Operating as one of the smallest clubs with one of the smallest budgets in the league, Cheltenham have shown in games this season that they can compete against the very best in League One - and they will hope that they can put in a five-star performance against a side who have nothing left to play for this season.

The one game that Rovers want to win

Duncan Ferguson has not enjoyed life since being appointed Forest Green Rovers manager back towards the end of January following the dismissal of former Notts County boss Ian Burchnall - the man who guided the Nailsworth side to their 1-0 victory against the Robins in December.

His record since being appointed by chairman Dale Vince is not pretty reading for Rovers fans - he has been in charge for 15 games - he has only one won of those fifteen, drawing three of those and losing the other eleven that he has been in charge. It was a gamble taken that has not paid off.

Whether the Everton legend will remain in charge following the club's relegation back to the fourth tier remains to be seen, but it is a chance for the Scot to give the club something to be potentially proud of this season if they are able to win both games against their closest rivals.

He will look to his key players in wing-back Corey O'Keeffe - who has often been deployed as a right-winger at times this season - whilst January signing Jordan Garrick carries pace and threat - but former Coventry and Bolton striker Amadou Bakayoko will be hoping to break his duck for his new club - and he usually tends to play well against the Robins.

The head-to-head record

Robins fans look away now - Forest Green have the better record when it comes to the two teams coming up against each other. According to statistics provided by Fotmob, the Robins have only won once at home against their rivals - a 2-1 win victory back in October 2020 on Halloween weekend no less - with Will Boyle and Andy Williams grabbing the goals that day.

However, it is Forest Green that have 5 wins against the Robins and go into this fixture this weekend knowing that they have already beaten Cheltenham this season. 

Nevertheless, Cheltenham know that they are not quite out of the battle for safety in EFL League One yet. They will be if Cambridge lose at league leaders Plymouth Argyle and if Accrington Stanley lose or draw against play-off hopefuls Portsmouth at Fratton Park and of course - if they are able to beat their rivals in a league fixture for only the second time at home.

  • Match Details

Where is the match being played?

The match will take place at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium in Cheltenham.

What time is kick-off?

The match will kick-off at 15:00 GMT tomorrow afternoon.

How can I watch/listen?

Unfortunately, you cannot watch the game live on IFollow, however you are able to listen via a match audio pass on either the Cheltenham Town or Forest Green Rovers website.