Huddersfield Town have been in incredible form this season after picking up 48 points in The Championship this season. However, their Yorkshire rivals, Barnsley, have had a severe drop in form after last years remarkable season by only picking up 14 points so far this season.
Huddersfield will be looking to capitalise on Barnsley’s dreadful run this season and regain bragging rights over their rivals. Barnsley somewhat surprisingly have the best record out of the two teams with The Tykes winning 14 of their last 30 meetings with Town.
Huddersfield will be thankful that the January transfer window has shut as star-man Lewis O’Brien has stayed at the club which greatly increases their chances against a Barnsley team which still have an Alex Mowatt sized hole in their midfield. As well as managing to keep their key players, Huddersfield have bolstered their midfield after re-signing Carel Eiting after his contract was mutually terminated by former club Genk.
Barnsley haven’t won in their last 14 away matches which really showcases the lack of cohesion the team has had this year. Barnsley may be looking to one of their new signings, Domingos Quina to give Barnsley the advantage they need. He initially started the season off at Sky Bet Championship team Fulham but he struggled to get minutes which resulted in his loan being cut short.
The last meeting between the two ended in a 1-1 draw during which, neither team played very well. Huddersfield will be looking to extend their impressive run of 11 games unbeaten which is their longest unbeaten run in the second tier of English football since 1965.
Huddersfield Team News
Carlos Corberán will probably look to rotate his team after his sides dramatic late goals on Wednesday which resulted in Huddersfield cruising to a 2-0 win against Barnsley’s relegation rivals, Derby.
This match could give players such as Pipa, who has just returned form injury a look in to start the game. Frazier Campbell might also be in the mix although, With Jordan Rhodes scoring in midweek after coming off the bench, he may face competition.
Huddersfield had a very active January transfer window which is likely due to the position the club find themselves in at the halfway point of the season. New signing, Jamal Blackman could make his debut between the sticks and replace Lee Nicholls who has been Town’s number one for the majority of the season.
Eiting made his debut at halftime against Derby in midweek but, he could be in with a chance at his first start for the club since returning.
Barnsley Team News
Barnsley left their deals right until deadline day in which they signed Amine Bassi and Domingos Quina, both of which played in Barnsley’s last match against Cardiff and are tipped to feature once again.
Carlton Morris is also rumoured to be featured from the start of the match after returning from a self-isolation period. Morris netted twice in Barnsley’s round three tie against barrow in their emphatic 4-0 win.
Many of Barnsley’s key players are out of contention for the match due to injury. Cauley Woodrow is one of the players that are going to be missing from the match which is a huge loss for them as he has been the focal point of their attack in recent years.
The Tykes will be looking to surprise their Yorkshire rivals and advance into the 5th round of the FA Cup but Huddersfield will be well up for the battle and won’t make it easy for Barnsley to extend their head-to-head run over them.
Coberan on squad rotation “We have a big squad with lots of options… it’s important to pick the players I think are going to be the best ones for that game to be the most competitive team we can be.”
He also spoke about the clubs recent run and the FA Cup “We need to give our best in both competitions, being professional is about concentrating on all games in every competition and that’s what we want to do.”
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Blackman; Pipa, Pearson, Sarr, Ruffels; Holmes, Eiting, High, Koroma; Rhodes, Campbell
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Walton; Andersen, Moon, Helik; J. Williams, Quina, Gomes, Bassi, Vita; Morris, Leya Iseka