Walsall v Scunthorpe preview
Last Updated: September 16, 2011 11:03am
Butler: To face old team
Team news ahead of Saturday's League One clash between Walsall and Scunthorpe United at the Bescot.
The Saddlers will be without striker Jon Macken and midfielder Claude Gnakpa as they aim to arrest a three-match losing streak.
Both missed Tuesday's desperate 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Oldham due to hamstring strains, with Macken hoping to return for next Saturday's trip to Colchester and Gnakpa targeting the home clash against Carlisle the following week.
Striker Jamie Paterson is pushing for a start having impressed and scored in a behind-closed-doors 2-1 friendly triumph over Kidderminster in midweek.
Captain Andy Butler and midfielder Kevan Hurst come up against their former club desperate to change the Saddlers' recent run of form, which has seen them lose to Brentford, Notts County and Oldham in successive matches.
Iron boss Alan Knill is still without striker Andy Barcham when his side travel to Walsall aiming for their first win of the season.
The forward was given a straight red card in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Sheffield United and will now serve the second match of his three-game suspension.
Knill has no fresh injury worries, but is still missing a clutch of players due to injury.
Jordan Robertson (ankle), Cliff Byrne (back), Michael Collins (Achilles), Josh Lillis (knee) and Matt Godden (hip) remain sidelined.
The winless Iron lie in the relegation zone after five draws in their opening eight games, but Knill has backed his men to bounce back from Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Rochdale.
He said: "I believe in this group of players."
Matches
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npower League 1
Table
npower League 1
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 84 |
| 2 | Bournemouth | 46 | 83 |
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 79 |
| 4 | Yeovil Town | 46 | 77 |
| 5 | Sheffield United | 46 | 75 |
| 6 | Swindon Town | 46 | 74 |
| 7 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 71 |
| 8 | Milton Keynes Dons | 46 | 70 |
| 9 | Walsall | 46 | 68 |
| 10 | Crawley Town | 46 | 68 |
| 11 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 67 |
| 12 | Notts County | 46 | 65 |
| 13 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 64 |
| 14 | Preston North End | 46 | 59 |
| 15 | Coventry City | 46 | 55 |
| 16 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 55 |
| 17 | Carlisle United | 46 | 55 |
| 18 | Stevenage | 46 | 54 |
| 19 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 51 |
| 20 | Colchester United | 46 | 51 |
| 21 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 48 |
| 22 | Bury | 46 | 41 |
| 23 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 41 |
| 24 | Portsmouth | 46 | 32 |
