EFL League One PREVIEW 17 Sep 2026: Wimbledon and MK Dons renew League One's own-history derby at Plough Lane

AFC Wimbledon host Milton Keynes Dons at Plough Lane on Thursday, a fixture that carries more history than most League One meetings. The two clubs share an origin story rather than just a division: the Football Association's approval of Wimbledon FC's relocation to Milton Keynes in 2002 led to that club being renamed Milton Keynes Dons in 2004, while supporters of the original Wimbledon formed AFC Wimbledon the same year as a separate entity that has since climbed back to League One on its own. Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson needed no reminder of what the night means to his own supporters. "We all know about Thursday and they don't need me to do some rallying cry," he said. "They'll show up in their numbers and with their voices." General admission tickets for the match sold out earlier this week, with only hospitality places still available.

Our model gives Wimbledon a leaning advantage as the home side, rating them close to favourites without making them clear ones.

Wimbledon arrive on the back of a 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers settled by a Myles Hippolyte free kick, and Jackson will be without James Tilley, lost to injury before that game. Dan Sweeney, doubtful with a sore ankle picked up against Bromley, missed the Doncaster match and Jackson said he hoped to have him fit for Thursday; Steven Sessegnon and Aron Sasu were also absent.

MK Dons arrive off a 1-1 draw at home to Peterborough United, Aaron Collins's 28th-minute goal cancelled out by Chris Conn-Clarke, and they have still not won a league match this season: five draws and a 3-1 defeat away at Wigan Athletic from their opening six fixtures, against Oxford United, Huddersfield Town, Leicester City, Wigan Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United. Paul Warne made three changes during that game, bringing on Marvin Ekpiteta, Jay Matete and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, and both clubs previewed Thursday's fixture on their own channels this week without either manager saying anything beyond the football itself.