Leyton Orient will be looking to build on their positive start to the 2022-23 campaign when they travel to Forest Green Rovers in the first round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night. The visitors have won their opening two League Two fixtures this season, while Forest Green have picked up three points from their first two matches of their League One campaign. © Reuters Forest Green were promoted to League One for the first time in their history last season, with the club finishing top of League Two, with only goal difference separating them from second-place Exeter City.
Rovers will be desperate to prove themselves in the third tier, and they made an excellent start to the campaign, recording a 2-1 victory over Bristol Rovers at the end of last month. Ian Burchnall 's side will enter this game off the back of a defeat, though, going down 2-1 at home to Ipswich Town, with Joshua March 's second-half effort only proving to be a consolation. Forest Green lost to Brentford in the League Cup last season after beating Bristol City in the opening round, and it would be a huge surprise if they were able to make a serious impression in the 2022-23 competition, with much of their focus on their League One campaign.
Both matches between Rovers and Orient in League Two last season finished 1-1, but the Greens have won three of their last five meetings in all competitions. © Reuters Orient, meanwhile, have made a strong start to their 2022-23 League Two campaign, recording back-to-back wins over Grimsby Town and Crawley Town to sit third in the table on six points. The O's finished 13th in League Two last season, 19 points off the playoffs, so it is going to take a huge effort for them to challenge for promotion during the new campaign.
Orient lost on penalties to Queens Park Rangers in the opening round of last season's League Cup, but they have won two of their last three games in the competition, one of which was against Forest Green back in September 2020. Richie Wellens 's side have a busy schedule in August, facing Mansfield Town, Swindon Town, Colchester United, Hartlepool United and Oxford United before the end of the month, and it will be interesting to see where they are in the table heading into the clash with Tranmere Rovers on September 3. Forest Green are unlikely to be able to call upon Udoka Godwin-Malife due to the injury that the defender picked up in the first half of the match with Ipswich at the weekend.
As a result, there is expected to be a start for Dominic Bernard , while March, who came off the bench to score against Ipswich, is also likely to be in the first XI. Armani Little and Sean Robertson are also expected to feature from the start, with head coach Burchnall expected to make alterations from the weekend. Orient boss Wellens will make changes to the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Crawley in the league on Saturday.
Sam Sargeant is in line for a spot between the sticks, while Anthony Georgiou , Paul Smyth and Harry Smith are all expected to come into the side from the weekend. Adam Thompson was an unused substitute against Crawley, but the 29-year-old is also in line to take to the field for the first whistle on Tuesday night. Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup: McGee; Bernard, Casey, Cargill; O'Keeffe, March, Little, Hendy, McAllister; Brown, Matt Leyton Orient possible starting lineup: Sergeant; James, Thompson, Happe, Hunt; Pratley, Moncur, Georgiou; Smyth, Smith, Archibald Neither side will be at full strength on Tuesday, but it should still be a competitive fixture.
It would not be a surprise to see a home victory here, but we just have a feeling that Orient will secure a narrow win to progress to the second round of the competition. .
