Walsall vs Fleetwood Town - Walsall made to wait in race for promotion

Posted Saturday, April 30, 2016 by PA

Walsall face an anxious wait over the weekend to see if they can sneak into the Sky Bet League One automatic promotion spots.

The third placed Saddlers welcome Fleetwood on Monday as automatic promotion rivals Burton, who are three points ahead face Gillingham on Saturday, while leaders Wigan need just a point at Blackpool to seal a return to the Sky Bet Championship.

Isaiah Osbourne played in the reserves' 6-0 defeat to Bradford in mid-week and is closing in on a recovery after a long-term knee injury but is unlikely to feature on Monday while Reece Flanagan (knee) is out.

Boss Jon Whitney reported no new injuries following their 2-1 win over Shrewsbury on Tuesday which booked a play-off spot.

Fleetwood are also in desperate need of the points to stave off the threat of relegation.

Boss Steven Pressley hopes Antoni Sarcevic will be fit to retain his place in the side after being forced to limp off towards the end of his side's goalless draw with Blackpool.

Shola Ameobi is in contention for a start after recovering from a hamstring injury to replace Sarcevic for the last 20 minutes against their local rivals.

David Ball is also likely to pass a fitness test after requiring stitches following a hefty challenge in the game against Tangerines.