'Healthy rivalry' - Shrewsbury Town face former boss Steve Cotterill in festive showdown at Cheltenham Town

Salop visit fellow early strugglers Cheltenham for a Boxing Day cracker, hoping to make boss Michael Appleton's only Christmas wish - three points - come true and improve their record on the road. 

So far this season, Shrewsbury have managed just one away League Two win, though they can take heart from their last trip to leaders Walsall, where they went toe-to-toe with the table-toppers to earn a hard-fought point.

Cheltenham are unbeaten in their last three League Two matches, a run that has helped them climb seven points clear of danger following a stuttered start to the campaign. 

Shrewsbury, meanwhile, sit just two points above the relegation zone and are winless in their last five league games. After a sluggish opening 10 games where they collected five points, Salop will hope to replicate the form of their second block of 10 matches, when they picked up 14 of their 19 points.

Adding extra spice to the fixture, former Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill now manages Cheltenham. And Salop boss said he enjoys a healthy rivalry with Cotterill, who he has faced many times.

He said: "I've come across Steve quite a bit from playing against him with various teams over the years. He's doing a fantastic job at Cheltenham at the moment. 

"We've got a pretty healthy rivalry in the sense that he's managed quite a few clubs, I've managed quite a few clubs, and we've come up against each other. It's going to be another fantastic game. 

"Boxing Day is always a great fixture isn't it, for fans up and down the country. It adds a little bit of extra spice. 

"Everyone's in a good mood. Nobody wants to lose the Boxing Day game, especially knowing that you've got games very quickly. It all adds up to what will hopefully be a really good game."

Only Crawley Town have earned fewer points on the road than Shrewsbury this season. Five Salop players - George Lloyd, Sam Stubbs, John Marquis, Will Boyle and Taylor Perry - will return to Cheltenham, where they once played.

Asked what he expects at Whaddon Road, Appleton added: "A tough game. I was going to say the pitch is small, but it's probably a similar size to ours. But it feels smaller because the stadium and the stands are much closer to the pitch. 

"I've been there a few times, I know it's a tough place to play. Steve has got them playing well. There's a lot of confidence about the group at the minute, so it's going to be a tough fixture. 

"But regardless of what happens on Saturday, we actually feel that we're in an okay place at the minute. The lads are leaving everything on the pitch, I think our fans can see that.

"I think for as frustrated as they would be about not winning last Saturday, as an example, I think they can see that the team are giving everything. 

"First and foremost, that's the most important thing. If we can add a little bit of quality and a little bit of composure in the right areas at the right time, hopefully we'll get different results."

Predicted XI: Brook, Hoole, Anderson, Boyle; Kabia, McDermott, Ruffels, Clucas, Perry, Lloyd, Marquis

Subs: Harrison, Benning, Stubbs, England, Gray, Sang, Aneke

Big match prediction: DRAW