Arbroath vs Dunfermline preview - Sheerin short on strikers

Arbroath are desperately short of attacking options as they bid for a second win of the season against Dunfermline.

The suspended Graham Bayne heads a list of five potential absentees. Darren Smith suffered a knee injury in training this week, Bobby Linn and Lee Sibanda are both doubtful and Ross Chisholm is absent due to family commitments.

Player-manager Paul Sheerin said: "It's disappointing that I have to change things about as we finished the game with Forfar last weekend really strongly and I was looking for us to build on that.

"We did well to defeat Dunfermline 3-2 and a repeat of that would be an early Christmas present."

Dunfermline will be without Ross Millen, who has a stress fracture of his heel, and Robert Thomsoon (groin) as they look to stretch their unbeaten league run to six games.

Callum Morris should shake off a minor knock to play and manager Jim Jefferies is looking for his men to show the same spirit that saw them came back from two goals down to defeat Ayr 4-2 last Saturday.

Jefferies said: "Our youngsters will need to dig deep as Arbroath are a very good passing team in the mould of their player-manager Paul Sheerin.

"We will need to stand strong to get on top of them."