Chris Dickson is expecting some questions from Bristol Rovers boss Paul Trollope ahead of tomorrow night's clash at Charlton Athletic.

Striker Dickson is on loan from the Addicks, but will be taking no part in the game at The Valley – that was one of the conditions the London club attached to the deal that brought the 24-year-old to the Memorial Stadium in September.

Instead, the marksman will be taking up an all-too-familiar vantage point from the stands as he watches the Pirates take on his parent club.

Out of favour in SE7, Dickson has not played for the London club since a 14-minute appearance from the bench in a 0-0 draw against Coventry in April.

But he is still in regular contact with many of Charlton's players and says he'll be happy to pass on any information he can about Phil Parkinson's side.

"I'm sure the manager will pull me to one side and ask me a few things about their tactics because I know them as well as anyone. I'll be passing on whatever information I can," said Dickson.

"Their captain, Nicky Bailey, is one of the most influential members of their team.

"They had been playing him out on the left, where I don't think he was as effective. But they moved him back into the middle for the game against MK Dons and Charlton won 5-1. He is definitely one to watch out for.

"Lloyd Sam is tricky on the right side – but anyone could be playing up front because they have four or five strikers there now. They have a strong back four, too, with Sam Sodje there.

"They have a tenacity about them. It was obviously embarrassing for them to lose at Northwich in the FA Cup, but that win at MK Dons was a great way for them to bounce back."

Dickson admits it was a weird experience watching from the stands at the Memorial Stadium when Rovers played Southampton in the FA Cup – again, Charlton had refused him permission to play.

And with a foot in both camps, he expects tomorrow to be a night of mixed emotions.

"It's strange. I knew I wasn't going to be allowed to play against Charlton, but I'll still go down there," he said. "People will bound to be asking me who I want to win, but that's nothing to do with me. I want both clubs to do well and to carry on winning – with or without me."

It will be Bristol Rovers' first trip to The Valley since January 1993, when the teams met in the old First Division during Malcolm Allison's ill-fated stint at the Pirates. The visitors lost that game 2-0 and have to look back more than half a century for the last time they beat the Addicks on their own soil – a 3-2 victory in March 1958.

Despite suffering relegation from the Championship last term, Charlton are still attracting average home gates of almost 17,000 this season.

"It should be a cracking game," said Dickson. "The Charlton boys are used to that kind of attendance and atmosphere – although a lot of the Rovers players should be as well after visiting places like Norwich and Southampton."

When it comes to predicting how the game will go, Dickson remains a diplomat. He said: "I'm going to sit on the fence and go for a 2-2 draw!"