Rovers are back on the road tomorrow evening as Joey Barton's team travel to South Yorkshire to take on Barnsley.
The Gas secured our second league victory of the season on Saturday afternoon after beating Oxford United at a hot and sweaty Mem courtesy of John Marquis' first goal in a Rovers shirt. Next up for the Gas is a visit to Oakwell to take on Michael Duff's Barnsley.
Manager's Preview
Joey Barton spoke to club media after our victory over Oxford on Saturday. When asked if the quick turnaround in fixtures will lead to the Rovers manager shuffling the pack on Tuesday evening, the gaffer had this to say,
"We'll see how the boys come out of it on Monday. For us, just to have the option to do that (make changes) is nice. But we'll assess the boys on Monday and we'll go to Barnsley with a plan to take as many points as we possibly can."
Opposition View
Barnsley manager Michael Duff spoke to barnsleyfc.co.uk following his side's 2-1 defeat against Derby on Saturday afternoon.
"We'll pick the bones out of this one, count the bodies on the Monday. We'll pick a team that we think that can go and win against Bristol Rovers. It's not a case of resting players, you're in the thick of it now. It's Saturday-Tuesday for a month. If the players aren't ready, they won't play.
"It's not a case of 'oh, we'll rest him for this, rest him for that', it comes down to a mentality. Get your head down, the next month's gonna be hard, especially in this heat.
"But, that's the job. It's a hard job, but it's not a bad job to have."
Ticket Info
Pay-on-the-Day tickets are available for tomorrow's fixture at Oakwell. Only cash will be accepted and there is a £2 price increase for on-the-day tickets.
Last Time Out
Familiar Faces
Luke Thomas may face off against Rovers tomorrow evening. Thomas spent last season on loan at Rovers and became a fan favourite during his time at The Mem. Luke joined Rovers on loan from Barnsley in July 2021 on a season-long deal. During his time in BS7, Luke made 28 appearances for the Gas scoring one goal.
Ref Watch
Darren Drysdale is the man in charge of tomorrow's clash at Oakwell. Drysdale last refereed a match involving Rovers in our 3-0 home victory over Harrogate Town in March earlier this year. In that game, Drysdale handed out a total of five yellow cards, four of them to Rovers players. Tomorrow's game will be Drysdale's first game of the season.
Betting Preview
EFL sponsors Sky Bet have priced Rovers at 12/5 for the win on Tuesday evening. Rovers can also be backed at 16/1 to win the game 0-2. On the goalscorer markets, John Marquis is priced at 9/1 to open the scoring, whilst Antony Evans can be backed at 9/2 to score at any time throughout the clash at The Mem.
Odds correct at the time of writing. To bet with Sky Bet please click HERE. Please bet responsibly.
How to Watch
Tuesday's game against Barnsley will be available to watch live on iFollow!
Match passes for the game cost £10 - with the majority of the revenue generated coming back to the football club.
Our highest iFollow audience for a Tuesday night fixture (excluding games played behind closed doors) stands at 1,878, which was achieved for our away trip against Leyton Orient last season.
To purchase a match pass - please click HERE.
