Albion Rovers vs Arbroath preview - Albion aim to hit ground running after hiatus

Alan Reid and Barry Russell will serve one-match bans as Albion return from a four-week break when Arbroath visit Cliftonhill.

The Rovers will also be missing Mick O'Byrne, who has had ankle surgery, with Steven Howarth also struggling after picking up a leg complaint in a friendly.

New signing Pat Walker is included although he may have to settle for a place on the bench after nine months out with an ankle injury.

Manager Todd Lumsden said: "We won well when Arbroath visited us earlier in the season and it would be good to repeat that and get our season moving again.

"We lost up at Arbroath to an injury-time penalty. There is not much between us so we can win this one."

Arbroath midfielder Lee Sibanda has recovered from the calf injury he picked up early on in last Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Stenhousemuir and he is included in the squad headed for Albion.

Sibanda's availability gives player/manager Paul Sheerin a full squad to choose from as he looks to start turning around a disappointing record at Cliftonhill.

Sheerin said: "In my five previous visits to Rovers we have only won once and we have had a couple of heavy defeats. I am looking for us to go there and look positively at this game as a chance to turn that record around.

"We lost to a wonder goal at Stenhousemuir last Saturday and need to get back to winning ways to consolidate our place in the play-offs."