Walsall v Carlisle preview

Team news ahead of Saturday's League One clash between Walsall and Carlisle United at the Banks's Stadium.

Claude Gnakpa is hopeful of making his return for Walsall. The French midfielder has been sidelined for the club's last three matches with a hamstring injury but is pushing for a comeback and will be assessed as late as possible. The Saddlers are desperate to end a sorry five-match run without a win, however skipper Andy Butler misses out through suspension. Centre-back Butler serves a one-match ban having been shown red for the penalty incident which led to last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Colchester. On-loan winger Dave Martin missed the loss with a recurrence of a niggling ankle problem and has returned to parent club Derby for treatment. He is again unlikely to be available against the Cumbrians. The Saddlers go into the clash having lost four of their winless five-match run but they can take confidence from the fact they completed the double over Carlisle last season. Carlisle will hand a late fitness test to leading goalscorer Lee Miller. Miller, a free signing from Middlesbrough in the summer, missed last week's home win over Stevenage with a groin strain. Manager Greg Abbott will be keen to have Miller back in his plans as the Scot has already scored five goals in seven appearances. Rory Loy partnered Francois Zoko up front in Miller's absence last week but fellow striker Craig Curran stepped off the substitutes' bench and is pushing for a recall. Midfielders Jon-Paul McGovern and Tom Taiwo also appeared as replacements against Stevenage and provide Abbott with extra options. Abbott has no new injury or suspension worries and is not expected to make many changes, if any, after his side bounced back to winning ways last Saturday after their heavy defeat at Chesterfield the week before.