Town visit third-placed Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday looking to bounce back from Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat to leaders Plymouth (KO 7.45pm).
The Blues have won only twice away from home this season - 1-0 at Lincoln and 4-0 at Portsmouth - despite having been in the lead in six of their seven games on the road. Only in their opening fixture on opposition turf, the 2-1 loss at Burton in August, were they never in front.
The defeat at Home Park was 11th-placed Town’s first loss in six matches having recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time this season in their previous two fixtures.
Wycombe are third in the League One table, two points away from Argyle at the top, who have played a game more, and behind Wigan on goal difference following Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Fleetwood, the Cod Army having come from 3-1 down to claim a point.
Victory over the Blues could see Gareth Ainsworth’s side to the top of the division with Plymouth not in action on Tuesday, although the Latics are at Fleetwood and also have an opportunity to go first.
The Chairboys, relegated after one season in the Championship in May, have a 100 per cent record from their six home league matches this season, but have slightly patchier form away where they have won three, drawn four and lost two.
Wycombe’s run of league wins at Adams Park stretches to eight including the latter stages of last season with their most recent home league loss a 3-1 reverse to Luton in April. Since then, the only home match they have failed to win was the Papa John's Trophy tie against Aston Villa U21s, which ended 3-1 to the Premier League club's youngsters.
Town manager Paul Cook’s side at Adams Park will depend greatly on the injury and illness situation.
Christian Walton looks certain to start in goal with Hayden Coulson likely to return at left-back having started in an unfamiliar right wing role at Plymouth and with Matt Penney having had a difficult afternoon.
George Edmundson and Toto Nsiala are likely to continue as the centre-halves with Janoi Donacien at right-back if he is over his weekend illness. If not, Cook may again have to utilise Luke Woolfenden with Kane Vincent-Young sidelined with a knock.
In midfield, skipper Sam Morsy again looks set to be partnered by Lee Evans, while Kyle Edwards may well get another opportunity in one of the wide roles, having made more of an impression after switching to the right on Saturday.
Bersant Celina could start in the other wide position having had a significant impact after coming off the bench on the left against the Pilgrims.
Wes Burns would be an alternative for the right side if he is over his illness, while Sone Aluko suffered a groin problem in training on Thursday and Scott Fraser has been out with a knock and wasn’t in the squad at Home Park.
Conor Chaplin seems set to continue as the number 10, despite having suffered with a back spasm last week, with Macauley Bonne the lone striker ahead of the former Pompey and Barnsley man.
Wycombe are expected to be without former Nottingham Forest winger Garath McCleary due to a shoulder problem, while midfielder Nick Freeman has been out since August with a knee injury.
The Chairboys are anticipating that Tuesday’s game will see their largest attendance for a midweek evening league fixture at Adams Park in almost 20 years with Town having sold their allocation of 1,800 tickets.
"We’re trying to get as many fans as we can down,” manager Gareth Ainsworth told his club’s official website.
"They’re a strong side, one of the favourites for the league and if we match them and can be competitive against them, then I’ll feel that we are a side that deserves to be where we are at moment.”
Town and Wycombe will be meeting at Adams Park in a competitive game for only the second time, although the teams also drew 2-2 in a pre-season friendly there in July 1995.
On New Year’s Day 2020, with news that manager Paul Lambert had signed a new five-year contract having broken before kick-off, James Norwood headed his ninth goal of the season but David Wheeler equalised as the Blues and the table-topping Chairboys drew 1-1 at Adams Park.
Norwood nodded in the opener on 54 but Wheeler looped home the leveller 12 minutes later.
The November 2019 match at Portman Road was the first ever competitive fixture between the sides.
In that match, Town had a goal controversially ruled out just before half-time and Tomas Holy saved a second-half penalty as what was a top-v-second clash ended 0-0.
Just before half-time, Luke Chambers’s header was diverted into his own net by Curtis Thompson but referee Alan Young wrongly disallowed it having consulted linesman Aaron Farmer with the players already lined-up for the restart.
In the second half, Holy stopped Joe Jacobson’s spot-kick after Chambers had fouled Wheeler.
Blues right-back Donacien spent a short spell on loan with Wycombe between August and September 2015, making two starts.
Wycombe stalwart Matt Bloomfield, 37, came through the Town academy and made one senior appearance as a sub before joining the Chairboys in December 2003.
The Felixstowe-born midfielder has now made played more than 500 games for the Buckinghamshire side but has made only one Papa John’s Trophy appearance this season.
Wycombe have two former Town keepers in their squad, one-time loanee David Stockdale and Adam Przybek.
Regular starter Stockdale was with the Blues from Fulham during the first half of the 2011/12 season making 18 appearances, while Przybek spent two seasons with the Blues before being released last summer having played one Papa John’s Trophy game.
The former Wales U21 international has made three cup appearances for the Chairboys.
Ahead of kick-off, there will be a minute's silence with the game Wanderers' final home league match before Remembrance Sunday.
Tuesday’s referee is Lee Swabey from Devon, who has shown 17 yellow cards and one red in nine games so far this season.
Swabey’s last Town game was the 0-0 draw at Shrewsbury in April in which he booked Norwood, Woolfenden and one home player.
Prior to that he was in the man in the middle for the 3-0 home defeat to Hull City in November last year in which he booked only Kayden Jackson.
His was also in charge of the 1-0 victory over Lincoln at Portman Road in February last year in which he yellow-carded Woolfenden, Flynn Downes, Emyr Huw and two Imps.
His only other Blues game was another 1-0 win, away against the MK Dons in September 2019, in which he again booked Downes, Huws and one home player.
Squad from: Walton, Hladky, Donacien, Penney, Coulson, Edmundson, Nsiala, Burgess, Woolfenden, Morsy, Evans, Harper, El Mizouni, Fraser, Burns, Chaplin, Celina, Edwards, Bonne, Pigott, Barry, Jackson, Norwood.