Match Preview vs. Wycombe Wanderers

Though for many tonight is about spending time with the one they love, for Notts County fans, it's all about seeing their side return to winning ways.

The Magpies' last home game saw their six-game unbeaten run at Meadow Lane come to an end courtesy of a 1-0 loss against Grimsby Town. This was followed by a woeful display against lowly Rushden & Diamonds, that saw a deserved defeat for Gudjon Thordarson's side.

Remember him?

Wycombe were the only team who were able to defeat the Magpies in the month of January, but that defeat was over-shadowed by the tragic death of Wanderers midfielder Mark Philo.

The Chairboys are still reeling from such a sudden and unexpected loss and have suffered further un-football related heartache, with manager John Gorman absent from tonight's match in order to tend to his sick wife, who is in hospital.

While football pales into insignificance compared to such issues, Wycombe will still be keen to complete the double over the Magpies this evening.

Of chief interest to supporters will be the first return of midfielder Stefan Oakes, after he left Notts in order to team-up with the Chairboys in the summer.

Oakes netted Wycombe's equaliser in the weekend's 2-2 draw with Mansfield after coming off the bench and is expected to regain his place in the starting line-up for the fixture.

Elsewhere, it's not hard to see why Wycombe have been consistently among the division's front-runners all season. £80,000 signing Jermaine Easter may not play after picking-up a knock, but evergreen striker Tommy Mooney still possesses a huge threat at the age of 34.

He is complemented by the youthful exuberance of Kevin Betsy and Dean Bowditch, while 40-year-old former England international Rob Lee remains a key player in midfielder.

Thordarson is likely to make changes after the weekend's dire showing. The County boss experimented with a 3-4-3 system at Nene Park, but is likely to switch-back to the 5-3-2 formation for tonight's game.

New signing Noe Sissoko is now up to a reasonable standard of match fitness and is expected to make his debut, though only as a substitute.

Loan signing Daniel Chillingworth should also make his debut and is pushing for a start in attack.

Liam Needham is pushing for a recall after being dropped at the weekend, while Rob Ullathorne and Chris Palmer are hoping to be involved after both being dropped from the 16 at the weekend.

Notts (from): Pilkington, O'Callaghan, Wilson, Baudet, Martin, Palmer, Pipe, Edwards, Crooks, McMahon, Needham, Ullathorne, DeBolla, Chillingworth, Dadi, Marshall, Friars, Sissoko, Long, Sheridan, Scoffham.