Notts County V Stevenage at Meadow Lane : Match Preview

03 February 2012 09:31
County marksman in fitness fight

Notts County will hand a fitness test to leading scorer Jeff Hughes ahead of meeting Stevenage for the second successive weekend.

Hughes was nursing a hamstring problem following the FA Cup tie between the two clubs at the Lamex Stadium last Saturday and it forced the 13-goal midfielder to miss the league fixture at Walsall in midweek.

Jonathan Forte could make his home debut for the Magpies. The on-loan Southampton striker featured against both Stevenage and Walsall, starting against Boro.

It would be the 25-year-old's third Meadow Lane bow following two previous loan spells at the club. With Karl Hawley joining Crawley on loan this week, Forte will battle it out with Lee Hughes and Ben Burgess for a starting place.

Gary Smith is not expected to make too many changes for his first league game in charge of Stevenage.

Smith began his Boro reign against the same opponents in the FA Cup last weekend and named the same line-up he had watched come from behind to beat MK Dons in captain Mark Roberts' final game as caretaker player-manager.

The former Colorado Rapids boss will keep any changes to a minimum and could even name the same team after defeating the Magpies 1-0 in the fourth-round of the cup.

However, defender Phil Edwards, midfielders Stacy Long, Robin Shroot and Chuks Aneke and strikers Ben May, Don Cowan and Robert Sinclair are options for Smith should he wish to make any changes.

Notts County V Stevenage - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game live.

Source: PA