Leyton Orient host Plymouth Argyle at Brisbane Road on 3 October 2026, a Gameweek 9 League One fixture that draws together two sides pushing hard in the top half, with Orient 11th on 10 points from seven games and Plymouth fourth on 13 from eight. Plymouth arrive as slight favourites on the back of a stronger away record.
This is the first meeting between Richie Wellens and Tom Cleverley, Wellens having been in charge at Orient since March 2022 when he replaced Kenny Jackett, while Cleverley took over at Plymouth in June 2025 after Miron Muslic left.
Orient's last five league results read W-L-D-W-L, the most recent a 1-0 home win over Stevenage in late September secured by Alex Gilbert's first League One goal and Orient's first home league victory of the season. Plymouth come in with a L-W-W-W-L run, their most recent outing a 0-1 defeat at Burton Albion that halted a strong sequence during which they scored seven goals across the two previous away games.
Mitchell is out injured and Hayden is away on international duty, which strips Wellens of defensive cover and his midfield anchor in one go and with Pleguezuelo doubtful through injury and Bakinson still ineligible because of his parent club, around 13 players could be missing across both squads, meaning neither manager gets close to their preferred XI.
Wellens typically runs a pragmatic 4-2-3-1 focused on efficiency in transition but without Hayden screening the defence, Orient have to rely on less experienced options in midfield that will leave gaps when Plymouth push forward. Kabia leads the line with around four goals and Gilbert's creativity in the attacking midfield role gives Wellens his most direct route to unsettling the visitors. Mitchell's absence leaves no natural wide player on the left to stretch Plymouth's defensive shape, which only compounds the midfield problem.
Cleverley's Plymouth run the same 4-2-3-1, though with Bakinson out and Pleguezuelo doubtful, younger or fringe players may need to cover in the back line and midfield. Pepple leads the attack with three goals, Irow has also scored three times and Watts is pushing for his first league start at number ten where he could exploit the space Hayden's absence creates.
The central question is whether Orient can stay compact without Hayden. If Plymouth's attacking midfielders get time on the ball, Orient's makeshift midfield will struggle to recover shape before Plymouth recycle. Kabia's movement in behind Plymouth's defensive line offers a counter to that but the absences hurt Orient's ability to hold shape more than they hurt Plymouth's. What you probably get is a game of calculated risk, with both managers treating possession as something to use carefully rather than chase.
Plymouth have had the better of recent meetings, winning 3-1 at Brisbane Road in February 2026 and they hold a clear edge across the five most recent clashes in both results and goal difference.
Orient will look to use Kabia on long throws and corners, while Cleverley can rotate Pepple and Irow as two different aerial targets at set pieces. With so many players absent through injury and international call ups, fatigue in the final 20 minutes could end up deciding things if the score stays level.
Plymouth Argyle to win 2-1. Losing Mitchell and Hayden together leaves Orient's midfield exposed enough that Plymouth should find a way through and Pepple and Irow have the goals to punish the gaps Hayden's absence creates. Kabia showed against Stevenage he can finish when the chance comes but Plymouth have scored freely on the road all season and the squad depth in their attacking third tips the balance.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
