Arbroath's upcoming Championship fixture against Dunfermline Athletic has been postponed due to international call-ups affecting the home side. The match, originally scheduled for Saturday, November 14 at East End Park, will now be played on Tuesday, December 1 with a 7.45pm kick-off.

Dunfermline Athletic confirmed the change on social media, stating the reason for the rescheduling. "Our previously scheduled match vs Arbroath FC on Saturday, November 14, will be postponed due to international call ups," the club said.

International absences force change

Four members of Neil Lennon's Dunfermline squad are set for international duty, triggering the postponement under league rules. Brothers John and Andrew Tod were named in the Scotland under-21 squad for friendlies in Spain, with 19-year-old John receiving his first call-up at that level. Midfielders Alfons Amade and Allan Oyirwoth have also been selected, for Mozambique and Uganda respectively, for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The postponement is part of a wider fixture backlog Dunfermline have been managing; they played six matches in October alone after earlier call-ups forced games against Partick Thistle and Stenhousemuir to be rearranged.

For Arbroath, the schedule shift provides a longer break before a key run of games. Dick Campbell's side, who sit 8th in the Championship with 11 points from 13 matches, now face Ayr United at Gayfield Park this Saturday. That match pits the 8th and 7th placed teams against each other, with Arbroath looking to build on last weekend's 1-0 win over Queen of the South, their first victory in five league outings. Their recent form reads one win and four defeats from the last five. Arbroath's next fixture after that is the rearranged trip to Dunfermline on December 1.

The team's record of three wins and two draws from their 13 games has left them 14 points behind leaders Partick. Their last five results, which include the win over Queen of the South and defeats to Raith Rovers, Livingston, Inverness CT, and Morton, have yielded just three points. The side has scored only seven goals all season while conceding 22, leaving them with a minus 15 goal difference. Their top scorer this season is R. Callachan, who has yet to find the net in his one appearance.

The rescheduled trip to Dunfermline on December 1 becomes Arbroath's next away league fixture after this weekend's home game. The Lichties will aim to use the altered schedule to their advantage as they seek to climb the standings and close a 14-point gap to league leaders Partick Thistle.

This story first appeared at google.com