Charlton kick off their competitive season with a trip to Cheltenham Town in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Saturday evening (5.30pm BST).
Nathan Jones' side will be looking to get their 2026/27 campaign off to a winning start in Gloucestershire with a place in the second round up for grabs, while the cup clash also provides a final opportunity for the Addicks to prepare for the Championship season opener at home to Derby County next weekend.
Should the tie finish all square after 90 minutes, the winner will be decided by penalties with no extra time.
TEAM NEWS
Jones could hand debuts to summer arrivals Ivan Mesík, Billy Koumetio, Danny McNamara and Millenic Alli, while Karlan Grant could make his 99th appearance for the club should he make his second debut following his return last month.
Sonny Carey is expected to be available again after the midfielder missed out on last weekend's friendly with Reading through illness.
Josh Edwards is likely to remain sidelined as he nears closer to a return to fitness, while Collins Sichenje could be available having gained valuable minutes during an U21s friendly in midweek.
Meanwhile, Micah Mbick has returned to full training with the squad as he awaits his first minutes of the summer following the injury he picked up towards the end of last season while on loan at Colchester United. Rob Apter could also be involved again after the winger picked up a knock during pre-season.
THE OPPOSITION
The Robins are entering into their third season in League Two following their relegation to the fourth tier in 2024.
Steve Cotterill's side have faced three games during their pre-season campaign, beating Evesham United 3-0 and Slimbridge 6-1, before being beaten 2-0 by Milton Keynes Dons last weekend.
Cheltenham have bolstered their squad with seven new signings over the summer with Charlie McCann, Jordan Shipley, Pierce Sweeney, Shaun McWilliams, Wyll Stanway, Joe Tomlinson and Kirsten Otchere all likely to receive their debuts in Saturday's cup clash.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Charlton and Cheltenham have met on seven previous occasions in all competitions with the Addicks winning twice and the Robins claiming three victories, with the other two encounters ending in draws.
The sides met for the very first time in the League Cup back in 2016 with Cheltenham claiming a 1-0 success against then-Addicks boss Russell Slade's men.
The last meeting came in March 2024 when Charlton claimed a 3-1 win in Gloucestershire with Daniel Kanu, Tyreeq Bakinson and Alfie May all netting for the Addicks in the League One encounter.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Alan Dale will be the man in the middle on Saturday afternoon. Last season, the referee took charge of 17 games between the National League and League Two, dishing out 54 yellow cards and three reds.
He will be assisted by Harley McKittrick and Marvyn Amphlett, with Niall Smith as the Fourth Official.
COLOURS
The Addicks will be sporting their brand-new purple third shirt for the first time at the EV Charger Points Stadium.
TICKETS
Remaining tickets are now available to purchase directly from Cheltenham Town for the below prices by clicking here.
Adults: £15
O65s/Students: £8
U18s: £8
U14s: £2
LIVE COVERAGE
EFL broadcast rules dictate that the club is unable to live stream the tie, meaning audio commentary via CharltonTV is the best way to follow all of the action if you're not in Cheltenham.
Supporters in the UK and Ireland can watch all of the action live on Sky Sports+.
