Scunthorpe United vs Northampton Town. Sky Bet League One.
Glanford ParkAttendance4,157.
Friday 16 February 2018 12:15, UK
Scunthorpe will be without on-loan defender Marnick Vermijl again for the home game against Northampton.
January signing Vermijl is still struggling with the hamstring injury which ruled him out of Tuesday night's draw at Peterborough. Duane Holmes and Tom Hopper are among those pushing for recalls to the starting line-up after boss Graham Alexander made four changes in midweek.
Alexander has no new injury or suspension worries, but Kyle Wootton, Jordan Clarke (both hamstring) and Jonny Margetts (knee) are still out.
Northampton will be without suspended winger Hildeberto Pereira following his dismissal in Tuesday night's home defeat to Gillingham. Pereira, on loan from Legia Warsaw, received two yellow cards after stepping off the bench and sits out a one-game ban.
Striker Kevin van Veen remains 50/50 after missing out in midweek due to a dead leg, but midfielder Matt Crooks will be available despite nursing a hamstring problem. The Cobblers, two points above the relegation zone, have not won at Scunthorpe since 1980.
This will be the fourth meeting between these two sides this season alone in all competitions; Scunthorpe won two of the previous three (D1) and kept a clean sheet each time.
The Iron have never kept four clean sheets against the same opposition in a single season as a Football League side, while Northampton have never failed to score on four occasions against the same side in one season whilst competing in the top four tiers of English football.
The Cobblers haven't won away at Scunthorpe in the Football League since October 1980, losing 12 of their 18 visits since (D6), although the last three have all been drawn.
The Cobblers are unbeaten in the first three league away trips of 2018 (W2 D1) after losing their last four of 2017; they haven't been unbeaten in four or more on the road in League One since October 2006 (eight games).
Hakeeb Adelakun assisted all three goals in Scunthorpe's 3-0 win over Northampton in the reverse meeting in November; against no other side has he provided more assists in the league for the Iron (Bradford City also three).
