Forest Green Rovers play host to Salford City for the first time tomorrow at The New Lawn.

Mark Cooper's side picked up their first win of 2020 last weekend away to Mansfield Town to move level on points with the automatic places, while Salford have lost their last three league games and are 12 points off the play-offs.

Read all you need to know ahead of the match here...

What we said:

"Salford have had three defeats and have had a go in the transfer market this week and signed some really good players, so I'm not sure what team they will pick this weekend.” said Mark Cooper.

"They have got a really good manager who has done a great job there. We know how difficult it is to get out of the National League. He has done brilliantly and we know how difficult the first season in the League can be.

"We've got progress (in the transfer window) but nothing signed and sealed as of yet. We are hopeful that will change for the weekend."

What they said:

“It has been a tough start to the New Year, I think certainly after the Christmas results we were expecting a better return from our league programme which hasn’t been the case, ” said Ammies boss Graham Alexander.

“Our performances have been there as I’ve said, but we haven’t turned them into results so that’s the aim for us, but every game is an opportunity for us.

“It was an extremely difficult game for us at Moor Lane earlier in the season, I think it was one of the games that made us really sit down and think about what we were doing and what approach we had to have, and it was a line in the sand really that game.

“I haven’t been down there before, it’s one of the grounds I’ve not been to as a player or as a manager, but we need to see the improvement that we’re trying to make.”

Team news

Forest Green:

Liam Shephard returned to training this week after missing the game with Mansfield Town with a hamstring injury picked up in the draw with Crawley Town.

George Williams is also closing in on a return from his broken leg and could return to action in the Central League next week.

Salford City:

Salford have had their fair share of injury woes this season, but are looking to turn the corner with players like Sunderland loanee Jack Baldwin returning in the last couple of games.

The additions of Ash Hunter, Tom Elliott, Bruno Andrade and Michael O’Connor will all be in contention for coming into the team after joining during the transfer window.

About: Salford

Under the guidance of current boss Graham Alexander, Salford were promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history as they beat AFC Fylde 3-0 at Wembley Stadium.

Alexander’s men got off to the perfect start to life in England’s fourth tier, running out 2-0 home winners over Stevenage on the opening day of the season as Emmanuel Dieseruvwe netted twice to hand them three points.

Since then, Salford have continued to pick up victories in patches throughout the campaign, and currently sit in 14th, despite narrowly losing out in their last three outings.

A new face has joined the Ammies ranks since their defeat to Northampton Town last time out, winger Bruno Andrade leaving League One side Lincoln City for an undisclosed fee, putting pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal with Alexander’s men.

Salford have lost their last three games but have made it through to the quarter-finals of the Leasing.com Trophy in that period, beating Port Vale 3-0.

Key player: Bruno Andrade

Salford City have made a marquee signing this window in the form of forward Bruno Andrade from League One side Lincoln City on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The Ammies have paid Lincoln an undisclosed fee for the 26-year-old who came through the academy at QPR and went on to join Boreham Wood, for whom he scored 34 goals, including one at Wembley in the 2018 National League promotion final.

He went on to join Lincoln in May 2018 and scored 13 goals in 73 appearances for the Imps and how quickly he settles into his new surroundings will determine how well Salford do in the second half of the campaign.

Last time we met:

Forest Green Rovers ran riot as they beat Salford City 4-0 in the first meeting between the two sides.

Matty Stevens scored his first League goal for Rovers after just three minutes, before Aaron Collins and Ebou Adams also got off the mark in green to make it 3-0 at the break.

Stevens grabbed a second just before the hour mark, the former boxer racing through on goal to land the knock-out blow.

It was an electric start from the visitors, and they raced into an early lead after just three minutes.

Adams, who provided a number of driving runs throughout the first half, darted into the box before setting the ball up nicely for Joseph Mills, and his low cross skittered nicely across the wet surface to the front post for Stevens to jab home his first League goal for the club.

It didn’t take long for Rovers to add a second, Collins latching onto an under-hit backpass from Carl Piergianni before showing his composure to finish past Letheren at the front post with 16 minutes on the clock.Rovers’ key man of the opening 45 minutes got his first FGR goal after half an hour, Adams firing an effort goalwards from the area which, after a slight deflection, nestled in the bottom corner.

Rovers didn’t let up after the break though, and Stevens added a fourth just before the hour mark.

Collins was fouled as he tried to break away for Rovers, but a good advantage from referee James Oldham saw Aitchison slide the striker through to finish into the bottom right-hand corner with aplomb.

Head-to-head:

This will be just the second meeting between the two clubs, following the first above earlier this season.

Coverage:

This game will be available to watch live if you live abroad by subscribing HERE, or you can listen to the game with our audio service HERE, both abroad or in the UK.

If watching on a mobile device, you will need to download the FGR TV app to be able to watch or listen to the match. A full list of frequently asked questions can be found HERE.

Please contact fgrtv@streamamg.com if you have any issues with your FGR Live account.

Full commentary of Saturday’s match will also be available on BBC Radio Gloucestershire on 1413AM.

Stay up to date also on Twitter and Instagram by following @FGRFC_Official, which will have all of the team news before kick-off and updates throughout the game.

There will also be key updates and team news on Facebook. Round-up the clash by checking out the club website where there will be a full report looking back on the encounter.