It’s a trip to the wonders of the Galpharm Stadium tomorrow (or whatever it’s called this week) for Merson’s misfiring men, to challenge the high flying Huddersfield Town.

The Walsall camp have been making noises in the Press about this being a difficult game and not expecting much from it, due to an ever increasing injury and suspension list. We can but hope that this is a smokescreen and the coaching staff have not been talking to the players in those terms. Certainly the outstanding player of the season so far, Simon Osborn, will be badly missed, but there is the experience available that Paul Merson says that we are likely to need.

Certainly, the Manager should have available Ruddy, Pead, Fox , Roper, Staunton, Kris Taylor, Smith, Demontagnac, Wright, Fryatt, Leitao, Westwood, Larossa, Gilmartin, Broad and Kinsella, and the club are now saying Bennett should also have recovered from his problems. That ought to be a squad capable of holding its own against anyone in this Division. Trouble is, we’re not playing just anyone.

Huddersfield are certainly flying high and the moment. After some years in the doldrums, they seem to be at last getting things together courtesy of an extremely successful youth policy, which means they are likely to be fielding an even younger team than us tomorrow. They also have a good blend of youth and experience up top, with young manager Peter Jackson being backed up by the experience of Terry Yorath.

They are lying second in the table, with a record of 8 wins and 3 draws from their 13 games and, even more ominously, are the Division’s third highest scorers. The main danger man is, of course, Pawel Abbott, who has 9 this season so far. He is having a little blank spell, not having scored in their last four, so let’s hope that continues tomorrow! His career record is a very, very impressive 49 from 89 league starts, so maybe the pressure of trying for his 50th League goal is proving too much!

As for injuries, they will be missing midfielder Chris Brandon, but that will be compensated by the return of Danny Schofield, so they are virtually full strength.

Predictions? We should get well and truly spanked, of course, unless there is a vast improvement from the Franchise game, but this is, of course, Walsall and the rules don’t apply. We’ll probably come away with something, knowing us.