Paul Sturrock has labelled tonight's clash with promotion-chasing Leyton Orient a "must-win" if Town are to realise their own ambition of a League One play-off berth come the end of the season.

Successive defeats to Port Vale and Doncaster Rovers have seen the Robins plummet to 11th in the league table, four points adrift of sixth-placed Tranmere.

With massive matches against Leeds United and rivals Bristol Rovers to come in November, Sturrock knows his injury-hit squad can ill-afford another loss so early in the month.

He said: "If we're going to be in the top six at the end of the season we will have to win against Orient.

"I feel that we're just out of sync with ourselves at this minute in time.

"We're rushing things and getting excitable at the wrong times where before there was a confidence in the team.

"But it's important that the players keep their heads up. We played a team (Doncaster) that I feel will be in the top six or seven, and we've never looked out of sorts.

"It augurs well, but it would have been nice to have taken three points from last week and Saturday.

"Instead we're sitting here with none so we've got to get back on the rails."

Orient's 1-0 win at home to Oldham Athletic on Saturday lifted them into second place, and Sturrock is wary of the threat posed by Martin Ling's improving side.

With several of his squad carrying knocks, the County Ground chief must decide whether to risk regular starters like Jerel Ifil or throw those with less experience in at the deep end.

He said: "Orient are flying at the minute. They will always score goals, they are a real handful up front. But we have got to go and match that.

"I'd like to have been healthier, but that's something that's in the lap of the gods at this moment in time.

"I'm hopeful that one or two who trained in the last couple of days might come into contention.

"If we could just get healthy with one or two lads coming back in we could really put a surge together."

Sturrock will think long and hard about the possible inclusion of both Christian Roberts and Barry Corr tonight, but the injured Ifil looks set to soldier on in the centre of defence.

"Jerel doesn't train much and we'll have to rest him sooner or later," said Sturrock.

"The quicker we can get rid of this transfer embargo and get players in, the better it will be for Jerel.

"He has soldiered on with real pain and I don't want to continue, but Tuesday he may have to bite the bullet again."