After last week's FA Cup exit, Sutton return to Sky Bet League Two action on Saturday with a visit from one of this season's promotion favourites Bradford City.
Like U's, Bradford suffered what they would have viewed as an unexpected FA Cup exit last Saturday, going out by the only goal at home to Harrogate, some way below them in the League Two table, but they had a chance to get the result out of their system on Tuesday when they recorded a fine 2-1 win at Mansfield, holding on for twenty minutes after Matty Platt had been sent off for a second bookable offence by referee Simon Mather.
That win extended Bradford's excellent recent away form to having taken sixteen points from a possible eighteen in their last six away games, having lost their opening two away games of the season at Barrow and Colchester, with only Grimsby having subsequently denied the Bantams maximum points on their travels. The result at Mansfield lifted Bradford in to fifth place in the table.
Platt will miss Saturday's game due to suspension following his red card, but City's squad is likely to include Andy Cook, who is behind only Sam Hoskins in the League Two scorers' chart, and who was on target at the VBS in April when Bradford inflicted U's first home league defeat for six months with an impressive 4-1 success.
Omar Bugiel remains suspended after his sending off at Stockport, while Coby Rowe has joined the injured list after limping off in the FA Cup defeat and faces three months on the sidelines with a medial knee ligament injury, but Adam Lovatt, Josh Neufville and Kwame Thomas should all return to the squad. Matt talks through the current injury situation in his pre-match interview which will be on the site on Friday evening.
Referee James Oldham is in his fourth EFL season and making his first visit to Sutton - the last time he took charge of a Sutton match was at Salford in the National League in March 2019.
Before the game players, officials and spectators will pay respects to those who have given their lives in service, with a brief remembrance service including the Last Post and a minute's silence. The local branch of the Royal British Legion will have a stall at the game where spectators can buy a poppy and other merchandise - the stall will be situated by the Gander Green Lane end of the Main Stand.
Tickets remain on sale on line for Sutton supporters by clicking here, price £20 for adults, £14 for concessions, £6 for ages 12-18 and free for under 12s, with tickets for under 12s needing to be bought in conjunction with an adult or concession ticket. A seat costs £5 more. It is also possible to buy from the ticket kiosk on the day of the game but prices in those circumstances for adult and concession tickets rise by £2, an increase which does not apply to tickets bought on line, even on Saturday.
FANZONE OPENS AT 12
The Sutton fan zone now has a covered section as the winter approaches, and will be open from 12 noon for supporters to enjoy a drink and something to eat, while kids now have their own area with a football tennis game. A match programme can be ordered on line here.
Anyone not able to get to the game can follow a live audio commentary on our iFollow service, with a match pass costing £2.50 - this is the last weekend on which coverage will be audio only until after the World Cup, with games during that period being live streamed at £10 each. Overseas supporters can watch a live stream of Saturday's game, price £10. Click here for more details and to buy passes.