MATCH PREVIEW | Charlton v Bristol Rovers

Caretaker boss Anthony Hayes expects Saturday to come too soon for Terell Thomas (ankle) and Miles Leaburn (ankle), though the duo are both nearing a return.

The Addicks will also be without Joe Wollacott (finger), Mandela Egbo (quad), Eoghan O’Connell (knee) and Conor McGrandles (ankle).

Meanwhile, Rovers will assess top scorer Aaron Collins (leg) and Jordan Rossiter (knee) after the pair were both forced off in midweek.

Harry Anderson (foot) and Ryan Loft (illness) could both return to the visitors’ squad, but Trevor Clarke (groin), Josh Grant (knee) and Sam Finley (calf) will miss out.

Bristol Rovers are one of the division’s form sides at present having taken 19 points from their last 10 League One outings. Only table toppers Ipswich Town have claimed more points than the Gas across this period.

That run leaves Joey Barton’s side sat 12th in the third tier, just three points adrift of sixth-placed Peterborough United.

Rovers travel to the capital buoyed by a convincing 4-1 triumph over MK Dons in the Papa John’s Trophy round of 16 on Tuesday.

Charlton and Bristol Rovers have gone toe-to-toe on 66 previous occasions with the Addicks winning 25, Rovers 22 and the remaining 19 fixtures resulting in draws.

The last meeting between the two teams came at The Valley in March 2021, when Charlton overturned a two-goal deficit to claim a 3-2 triumph thanks to goals from Andrew Shinnie, Jake Forster-Caskey and Conor Washington.

Sam Allison will oversee proceedings on Saturday. The official last refereed a Charlton fixture in March 2022 - a 1-0 win at Doncaster Rovers.

Allison will be assisted by Andy Bennett and Conor Farrell, while Neil Hair is the Fourth Official.

The Meantime Fans’ Bar will be opening its doors to supporters from 12pm on Saturday and will be offering a new range of Asahi products, along with a variety of food from the fish bar.

The indoor and outdoor Family Activity Zone (FAZ) will be open from 12.30pm until 2.15pm.

Addicks can help support those in need in our local community this Christmas by donating non-perishable foods to the Greenwich Foodbank on Saturday, with Charlton Athletic Supporters' Trust (CAST) hosting the annual collection from 2pm until 2.45pm in the West Stand car park. Click here for more information.

Saturday’s matchday is the club’s annual Christmas Spirit Day and Santa Claus will be welcoming families and young people to his Grotto, designed and produced by DNEL Events, in Valley Central's Youth Hub.

For more streaming information about this weekend's match, please click here.

Fans can buy Valley Gold Jackpot tickets online for the fixture. For every £1 spent on a Jackpot ticket, half goes to the club’s academy to help produce the stars of the future, while the other half goes to the two winners of a cash prize.

Click here to be in with a chance of winning up to £2,000.

Visiting The Valley for the first time on Saturday? Click here to read our First Time Visitors' Guide.