This weekend Walsall Football Club play host to play-off chasing Preston North End in the latest round of Sky Bet League One season.Walsall arrive at the match on the back of a 0-0 home draw with win-less Colchester United, which extends the Saddlers' poor run to just three wins in twenty-six league and cup games, a record which dates back to the January 25th 5-1 drubbing of Notts County.
Also concerning is the Saddlers' lack of home goals, the reds have failed to score more than one goal at home since New Years Day.
WALSALL TEAM NEWS
Former Saddlers captain Andy Butler has this week re-joined the club on a one-month emergency loan from current club Sheffield United, and is expected to go straight into the squad.
Ex-Chelsea midfielder Billy Clifford has been suffering from a dead leg since last weekends draw with Colchester but could feature.
Walsall could be without summer signing Ashley Grimes who, along with James Chambers (groin), was substituted during the league defeat to Scunthorpe United a fortnight ago.
Both Amadou Bakayoko and Rico Henry came away from Wednesday's reserve team game with knocks.
The Saddlers injury list continues to be a concern, along with the above, it includes, Sam Mantom (knee), Ben Purkiss (ankle), Matt Preston (thigh), and Jordan Cook (ankle).
Walsall will be boosted by the return of attacking-midfielder Romaine Sawyers who re-joins the squad following a spell of international duty with St Kitts and Nevis, where he made three appearances and scored one goal in the qualification stage of the 2014 Caribbean Cup.
OUR OPPONENTS
Preston currently lie seventh in Sky Bet League One, and have picked up nine points from their opening five games, including victories over Scunthorpe United (0-4) and Oldham Athletic (1-0).
The Lilywhites have not played a competitive match since their 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on 2nd September. Last weekend's scheduled match with Leyton Orient (A) was postponed due to international call-ups.
Preston hope to have a full squad to select from after Australia's Bailey Wright and Gibraltar's Scott Wiseman returned from international duty.
Winger Kyel Reid could feature in the squad following his knee injury
North End allowed Keith Keane and Josh Wright to join Crawley Town on loan earlier this week but have no new injury concerns ahead of this weekend's match.
HEAD TO HEAD
In terms of head-to-head, of the fifty-six meetings Walsall hold a slight lead with twenty-four wins to their opponents twenty-two. There have also been ten draws between the two sides.
Their first encounter took place on 9th September 1961, the Saddlers winning the match 3-2 at Deepdale.
In more modern times the Saddlers have won two of the previous five meetings, but none of the last two, suffering defeats last season both home and away.
THE OFFICIALS
This weekend's referee is scheduled to be Geoff Eltringham, who is based in Tyne and Wear. Referee Eltringham has officiated over seven matches in various competitions so far this season, where he has issued sixteen yellow and three red cards. He has also awarded two penalties.
His most recent Walsall match was a 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United on 23rd October 2012, which saw the Saddlers Dean Holden red carded after just 13 minutes.
Matthew Jones and Steven Meredith are set to run the lines, whilst Wayne Barratt will be Fourth Official.