EFL League One PREVIEW 19 Sep 2026: Clough's return to Burton headlines a full League One Saturday

Nigel Clough takes Mansfield Town back to Burton Albion, the club he managed for close to a decade before leaving for the One Call Stadium, and does so with a handful of old team-mates from his Brewers years now in Stags colours: Ryan Sweeney, Deji Oshilaja, Frazer Blake-Tracy and Lucas Akins have all made the same journey. It is, by some distance, the model's clearest call of the round, backing Burton to win at home well clear of a draw or an away win. Burton arrive on the back of a 3-0 defeat away at Oxford United, but Clough himself has flagged how hard they are to break down, calling them "unbelievably difficult to beat" ahead of kick-off. Mansfield have not scored in three league games since beating Luton Town 5-2, and defender Owen Dodgson misses out through suspension after his red card in a goalless draw at home to Huddersfield Town.

At the other end of the model's confidence, Wigan Athletic against Wycombe Wanderers is close to a coin toss. Wigan drew goalless at league leaders Sheffield Wednesday last time out and have added the experienced Scott Hogan on a short-term deal, but the build-up has been overshadowed by the sudden death this week of goalkeeping coach Kevin Miller: players will wear his image in the warm-up, with a minute's applause before kick-off repeated again in the 57th minute, his old shirt number. Wycombe, under interim head coach Tom Hounsell, have won back-to-back matches, a league win at Leyton Orient and an EFL Cup victory over Chelsea's under-21s, and have brought former striker Sam Vokes back to the club in a coaching role.

Bromley's first season back in the third tier is being tested at the sharp end: the newly promoted Ravens, still without a League One home win, host a Huddersfield Town side that remains the division's only unbeaten team. Andy Woodman's side came from behind twice to draw 2-2 at Blackpool last time out, while Huddersfield were held goalless at Mansfield against ten men; Huddersfield captain Ryan Ledson is among those missing through injury for the trip south.

Leicester City's rebuild under Russell Martin continues at Barnsley, back-to-back relegations behind them and reinforcements still arriving, goalkeeper Dai Cornell the latest addition. Leicester scraped past Stockport County 4-3 last time out with two goals from Emil Riis, and Martin has been careful in the build-up to credit a Barnsley side he rates as full of running and attacking threat despite results. Barnsley, under Daniel Stendel, have lost their last two league games and went out of the Carabao Cup on penalties at Peterborough United in midweek, having failed to register a shot on target in a defeat at Plymouth Argyle.

Plymouth Argyle, unveiling a new blue-and-white away kit, travel to Blackpool full of confidence after beating Barnsley 3-0 and winning three of their last four, Bim Pepple among the scorers again. Blackpool, still without the injured Fraser Horsfall and Michael Ihiekwe, welcome back forward Dion Charles on loan from Huddersfield Town, returning to the club that released him as a junior; Ian Evatt's side are trying to end a run without a win. At the Kassam Stadium, Oxford United chase a third straight League One win under new head coach Aaron Ramsey against a Cambridge United side that has lost only once all season, away at Huddersfield.

Reading, out of the Carabao Cup at Brentford in midweek but winners in two of their last three league games, meet Notts County for the first time since 2002; Jack Marriott has been the division's leading scorer, while County boss Martin Paterson, freshly handed a contract through 2029, is still adjusting his newly promoted side after a first defeat, at home to Bradford City, ended their unbeaten start.

Elsewhere, Leyton Orient try to arrest a three-match losing run at home to a Stevenage side unbeaten in four; Orient should have Armando Dobra back, while Stevenage forward Jordan Roberts is a doubt. Luton Town, beaten at Stevenage in a game where manager Jack Wilshere was sent off, host Bradford City with full-back Harrison Ashby, withheld from that defeat, potentially returning against the club where he spent last season on loan and helped reach the play-off semi-finals. And at London Road, Doncaster Rovers' Grant McCann takes an out-of-form Rovers back to Peterborough United, the club he once managed himself; Peterborough have found form of their own since their last league defeat, beating Watford 5-1 and edging Barnsley on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

It is also the first league meeting between Sheffield Wednesday and Stockport County since April 2005. Wednesday, rebuilding after last season's administration and record-breaking relegation, remain unbeaten and will assess striker Ali Al-Hamadi, a doubt with a new foot injury, while Stockport, managed by Jimmy McNulty, arrive relishing the scale of the occasion at Hillsborough and are expected to field an unchanged side despite conceding four at Leicester last time out.