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Out last week at Hillsborough with injury were Alan Moore, Lee Briscoe, Tony Grant and Paul Weller and although all are not too far away from being fit decisions on them are all being left until this morning.
Earlier in the week Stan said that he only had thirteen players fit and available and they are; Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Ian Cox, Arthur Gnohere, Graham Branch, Glen Little, Steve Davis, Paul Cook, Robbie Blake, Ian Moore, Andy Payton, Brad Maylett and Mark McGregor.
Stan had said at Sheffield that his squad that day were the only sixteen players fit but that is not strictly true and Matthew O’Neill (a sub at Derby) was playing for the youth team. There are also Earl Davis, Andy Leeson and Andrew Waine but these players haven’t played for almost a month because of our non-entry in the reserve team cup.
For once there is no attempt at naming the side, it really is impossible with no idea just who is injured and just who is fit. There has been no information given as to what injuries some of these players have picked up.
One definite absentee will be Stan Ternent, but only from the dug out. Stan, banished after living every Burnley fan’s dream and abusing dreadful referee Barry Knight, will have to sit elsewhere although I would think he will be very close.
Both Stan and Sam are always in the dug out area and the only other occasion I can recall one of them missing was following the sad death of Sam’s son almost a year ago.
Groin injuries keep two Walsall players out of the action this afternoon. Australian David Zdrilic and former Claret Danny Sonner are both out although there is good news for the Saddlers in that Matt Carbon has passed a fitness test after being out with a shoulder injury.
Carbon isn’t expected to start at the back though with Ian Roper and Danny Hay having played so well recently. Hay shouldn’t have been available having been called up for international duty by New Zealand. However the Kiwis have given him special permission to fly out late to enable him to play at the Turf.
Walsall boss Colin Lee is expecting Burnley to play more football than usual and said yesterday,
"They tend to try and get their full-backs forward quickly and seem to play more football when Gareth Taylor is not in the side, as will be the case for our visit tomorrow.
"They are certainly a difficult side to beat at home, but we are more than capable of going there and getting something from the game, particularly if we display the same determination and commitment that was evident at Pride Park last week.
"We go into the game knowing that Burnley are having a good run of form at the moment and like their manager Stan Ternent I was quite surprised to see them struggle early on in the campaign. They have since used their experience to turn the situation around and provide us with a tough test."
Walsall are expecting to name the same starting line up as the one that drew at Derby which was:
James Walker, Zigor Aranalde, Danny Hay, Ian Roper, Darren Bazeley, Steve Corica, Fitzroy Simpson, Martyn O’Connor, Darren Wrack, Jorge Leitao, Junior. Subs from: Gavin Ward, Tony Barras, Matt Carbon, Gary Birch, Roberto Martinez, Pedro Miguel Matias.
For more on Walsall, a look back at past matches and a former player of both clubs see the Match Preview