Preview: Walsall vs. Doncaster Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Walsall and Doncaster Rovers are successful enactment connected Boxing Day erstwhile spell caput to caput astatine the Poundland Bescot Stadium successful circular 22 of the League Two connected Thursday.

While triumph could nonstop the visitors into second-place, the Saddlers acceptable retired successful hunt of a 5th league triumph connected the bounce arsenic they look to unfastened up a nine-point pb astatine the apical of the table.

Match preview

© Imago

High-flying Walsall pulled six points wide astatine the apical of the League Two standings past Saturday erstwhile they picked up a 2-0 triumph implicit 10-man Harrogate Town astatine the Exercise Stadium.

With Josh March receiving an aboriginal bath aft 2 quick-fire bookings, the visitors took vantage of their numerical precocious manus arsenic Albert Adomah doubled the pb aft Nathan Lowe enactment them successful beforehand with a 34th-minute strike.

Walsall person present won 5 games connected the bounce, picking up 4 back-to-back victories successful the League Two and seeing disconnected League One outfit Reading connected penalties successful the 2nd circular of the EFL Trophy connected December 10.

Matt Sadler's men are besides unbeaten successful 11 consecutive league matches, claiming 7 wins and 4 draws, and person mislaid conscionable 1 of their astir caller 15 matches crossed each competitions, which came connected November 30 erstwhile they suffered a 4-0 thrashing astatine the hands of Charlton Athletic successful the FA Cup 2nd round.

Having guided the nine to an 11th-placed decorativeness past play aft taking implicit astatine the helm of matter successful January, it has been an awesome archetypal afloat play for Sadler arsenic Walsall presently pb the mode astatine the apical of the League Two array with 43 points from 20 games, six points supra second-placed Port Vale.

The Saddlers' coagulated archetypal fractional of the play has been owing to their spot astatine some ends of the transportation arsenic they person scored a league-high 37 goals and presently boast the joint-most cleanable sheets successful the part (9).

Doncaster Rovers, meanwhile, ensured they stay wrong touching region of Walsall successful the precocious echelons of the array arsenic they cruised to a 3-1 triumph implicit Tranmere Rovers astatine the Eco-Power Stadium past Saturday.

After Joseph Olowu opened the scoring successful the 38th infinitesimal to manus the hosts a first-half lead, Patrick Kelly and Kyle Hurst scored aft the interruption to marque definite of the effect earlier substitute Sol Solomon netted successful the 83rd infinitesimal to springiness Tranmere thing to cheer.

Before that, Doncaster saw their nine-game unbeaten tally travel to an extremity connected December 10, erstwhile they were fell to a 1-0 decision astatine the hands of Port Vale successful the EFL Trophy 2nd round, 4 days earlier losing 1-0 against AFC Wimbledon successful the league.

Having secured a fifth-placed decorativeness earlier a gruesome penalty-shootout nonaccomplishment to Crewe Alexandra successful the playoff semi-finals past term, Grant McCann's men person picked up 10 wins and six draws from their 21 League Two games to cod 36 points and beryllium 3rd successful the table, 1 constituent disconnected second-placed Port Vale.

While Doncaster volition beryllium looking to proceed from wherever they near disconnected Tranmere past play and leapfrog Port Vale successful the table, they volition request to amusement their mettle astatine the Poundland Bescot Stadium, wherever they person mislaid 5 of their past six league visits since September 2014.

Walsall League Two form:

Walsall signifier (all competitions):

Doncaster Rovers League Two form:

Doncaster Rovers signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Walsall volition caput into the Boxing Day showdown without the services of experienced guardant Joshua Gordon and 18-year-old midfielder Dylan Thomas, who are recuperating from injuries.  

Brandon Comley is besides acceptable to beryllium retired his sixth consecutive crippled portion English defender Priestley Farquharson continues his lengthy spell connected the sidelines since coming disconnected injured against Tranmere successful August.

Jamille Matt missed the crippled against Harrogate owed suspension aft crossing the yellowish paper threshold but the 35-year-old forward, who has six league goals, is eligible to instrumentality to enactment connected Thursday.

As for Doncaster, seasoned defender Richard Wood has been ruled retired since picking up a terrible wounded against Newport County connected August 17 and the 39-year-old is retired of contention for the travel to the Poundland Bescot Stadium.

He is joined connected the club's wounded array by chap defender Thomas Nixon, who has missed each of the past six games since coming disconnected injured against Carlisle United backmost successful November.

Walsall imaginable starting lineup:
Simkin; Okagbue, Williams, Allen; Barrett, Jellis, Stirk, Lakin, Gordon; Adomah, Lowe

Doncaster Rovers imaginable starting lineup:
Sharman-Lowe; Emmanuel, Olowu, McGrath, Fleming; Bailey, Kelly; Molyneux, Broadbent, Gibson; Sharp

We say: Walsall 3-1 Doncaster Rovers

Looking astatine caller meetings betwixt Walsall and Doncaster, we expect a thrilling matchup astatine the Poundland Bescot Stadium with plentifulness of goalmouth action.

While we expect McCann's men to enactment up a fight, location vantage gives Walsall an borderline present and we are backing them to marque it a cheerful Boxing Day for their supporters.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer please click here.

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