Last season Sutton won all three games between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, a run rounded off by a 2-1 win over Tuesday’s opponents in front of a VBS Community Stadium full house, and U’s would love a similar return this year, looking to close the gap at the foot of the League Two table.

Before games away to Gillingham, who were also part of that sequence, and at home to Newport, U’s face a side currently in the last of the play-off positions. Wimbledon have shrugged off a run of one win in six games in October to have only lost once in the last six since then, winning four of those to put themselves back in to promotion contention. Most recently they won 2-1 at Crawley on Friday night, but had defender Joe Lewis sent off for two yellow cards which means he will miss the Boxing Day game through suspension.

Dons will be looking to complete a double having won 3-0 at Sutton in August, but U’s will have fond memories of their only previous league visit to the ground in October 2022, ending a run of four consecutive league defeats thanks to Craig Eastmond’s first half goal.

Saturday’s defeat against Mansfield left U’s nine points adrift of the safety line in the League Two table, and interim manager Jason Goodliffe will lead U’s in to the game against a side where he enjoyed success as a player. He was hoping that there were no new injury worries after the Mansfield game but may again be without centre backs Omar Sowunmi, Ben Goodliffe and Louis John.

Referee Sam Purkiss is in his fifth season on the EFL list and was in charge of U’s opening day game against Notts County. This is the second time he has refereed Sutton at Wimbledon as he was in the middle for last season’s EFL Trophy game which Wimbledon won 1-0.

There are still a few tickets left from our allocation for the game. On the day admission charges are £27 for adult, £19 for concessions and £7 for under 17s. Entry is through Gate 7, and anyone who has bought a ticket on line and not yet collected it can do so from that gate. Anyone who has purchased an age related ticket is liable to be asked for proof of age when entering the ground. A guide to the Cherry Red Records Stadium is here.

If you can’t get there, the game will be the first of three live streams in the UK over the holiday period, with a match pass costing £10. Overseas viewers can still take advantage of the half-season ticket offer, with a pass costing just £85 to cover all league games to the end of the season, though not FA Cup ties. Click here for more information and to buy the required pass.

With no Thameslink service, or any other local National Rail service, operating on Boxing Day the usual quick route between West Sutton and Haydons Road is not available. Buses and trams are running, with the 493 bus connecting Wimbledon station to the ground every 20 minutes. It’s about a 20-25 minute walk from the station to the ground. For drivers there is no parking at or close to the ground – street parking may be available in the roads between Wimbledon station and Haydons Road, where the majority of parking restrictions are lifted for a Bank Holiday (further details here), otherwise park in Wimbledon town centre and walk or get the bus as above. Be warned that on the other side of the ground, towards Earlsfield and Tooting, which comes under Wandsworth Council rather than Merton, match day parking restrictions are in place and further details can be found here .