Cambridge United head coach Mark Bonner unsure what to expect from this weekend’s opponents Cheltenham Town

Cambridge United head coach Mark Bonner has admitted that it is tough to predict how Cheltenham Town will line-up for Saturday afternoon’s Sky Bet League One clash between the two sides in Gloucestershire.

Having failed to either score in or win any of their opening eight matches this term, Cheltenham parted company with boss Wade Elliott late last month and replaced him with Darrell Clarke.

However, there has been minimal ‘new manager bounce’ following Clarke’s arrival, with the bottom-of-the-table Robins still winless, although they did break their goal duck during a 1-1 draw with Derby County.

And with Clarke still very much finding his feet at Whaddon Road, Bonner is unsure of what to expect.

He said: “They’re in a funny position in the fact that they’ve got a new manager and had a 11 or 12 days to prepare for the game and him to get his ways across during the international break.

“It makes it a little bit of an unknown in terms of what they’re going to do, but that makes us really focus on us, which is a positive.

“It’s a very quick turnaround from his first couple of games and whether you can read too much into those, I don’t know.

“It’s really hard and you could send yourself mad trying to work out what their system might be, what might their shape be, their style and how might they try and play against us. Have they used the 11 days to concentrate on themselves or with an eye towards our level and our performance?

“We need to be mindful of that and be ready for whatever comes.”

In terms of availability, Bonner is hopeful that Sullay Kaikai will return to the fold after missing last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury Town due to international commitments.

The winger featured twice for Sierra Leone in games against Benin and Somalia, both of which were played in Morocco.

Bonner added: “He had a busy weekend but luckily it wasn’t too far away, he was in Morocco.

“He flew back last night, so he got back into London on Wednesday night. He played big minutes in the first game and 30 minutes in the second game, so the order of those games has probably helped us.

“It means he’s not burned out, so it’s just a matter of how he’s coped and how he’s feeling.

“We’ll see him this morning and get a gauge on that, but he’s certainly one we hope can be ready to contribute.”

Cambridge will make the long journey west having won none of their last eight games in all competitions.