MATCH PREVIEW | Charlton v Barnsley

Charlton take on struggling Barnsley on Saturday afternoon and will be hoping to pick up a vital three points as things start to get interesting at the wrong end of the table. Results elsewhere have meant that the Addicks now only sit four points from the drop zone.

The Tykes have endured a difficult season which has seen them well amongst the mire, currently six points from safety and off the back of three straight defeats in all competitions.

Lee Bowyer's men, meanwhile, will be hoping to build on an encouraging goalless draw with Fulham last time out, with the squad beginning to look in better shape with players returning to fitness.

Charlton have seen a number of key players return from their injury lay-offs of late - a much-needed boost for Bowyer's side.

The hosts will still be without Macauley Bonne, George Lapslie and Lewis Page, but Ben Amos is available again, while Chuks Aneke got more minutes for the U23s earlier this week, scoring in a 4-0 win over Bristol City.

Meanwhile, new signing Aiden McGeady will be available for selection on Saturday.

For Barnsley, Gerhard Struber will be monitoring the situation surrounding Bambo Diaby who allegedly failed a doping test in November and has been suspended by Barnsley as a result.

Elsewhere, Marcel Ritzmaier will be out of contention but the Tykes will be monitoring the fitness of Clarke Oduor and Mike Bahre ahead of the trip to the capital.

Charlton Boss Lee Bowyer: “They’ve changed things, I’ve watched them in a few of their games and they are dangerous. I think they are in better shape than when we played them at their place. They’ve got some good players.”

Barnsley Boss Gerhard Struber: "It's a very big game and in every game we must go out of our comfort zone. We have to go over our personal limits. When we do it, we have a big chance to stay in the league."

Charlton and Barnsley have met 51 times with the Addicks winning on 19 occasions, drawing 15 and losing 17.

Bowyer's men have already faced the Tykes this season, drawing 2-2 at Oakwell after Cauley Woodrow's opening strike was cancelled out by Conor Gallagher before Conor Chaplin restored the hosts' lead after the break. Lyle Taylor then ensured the Addicks didn't leave empty handed when he kept his cool to convert an 89th-minute penalty.

The last time Barnsley made the trip to The Valley was back in October 2018 and the Addicks put in a fine performance to win 2-0 thanks to a brace from Karlan Grant.

John Brooks will be the man with the whistle on Saturday. He will be joined by Sam Lewis and Darren Blunden as assistants with Carl Brook as the Fourth Official.

Brooks has refereed 16 games this season, handing out 51 yellow cards and awarding a single penalty. The last time he oversaw a Charlton game was back in September when the Addicks beat Leeds United 1-0.

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Supporters purchasing concession tickets should be aware that ID checks will be in place for those who may appear close to, or outside, the relevant age groups. Appropriate identification includes a driving license, passport or any other photographic ID that shows date of birth. The club will also accept a copy/photograph of these documents provided the date of birth is clearly legible.

A 'print at home' option is available, or tickets can be scanned from mobile devices. Tickets are available from the stadium on the day, but supporters should note that a £3 increase on adult, over 65s and U21 tickets kick in 2 hours before kick off.

Supporters can follow all the build-up to the game on Charlton's official Instagram account, official Twitter account and Facebook page.

Live audio commentary of the game from Charlton commentators Terry Smith and Greg Stubley will be available on Valley Pass in all countries.

Supporters who live abroad will be able to watch live coverage of the match on Valley Pass for a one-off price of £5.

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