Orient are the visitors tomorrow night, with the Saddlers looking to cement their place in the top six, after the hard-fought win at home to Gillingham on Saturday. The two games do have something in common, as Walsall have only lost away twice in the League this season - at Gillingham and Orient. A similar result to Saturday’s then would also help to avenge those away defeats.

The team news will surround three issues, I suspect. The first is the availability of Michael Ricketts. Despite the win, we still missed his guile and “nous” on Saturday (something I had remarked on to the Fat Controller just seconds before we scored our opening goal, of course) and his presence would be welcome.

The second is that there has still been no indication as to whether Mark Bradley will be fit. One can only assume that he was taken off on Saturday because he had picked up a knock, but there has been no indication from the club as to the reason.

The third is the return from suspension of Scott Dann and Ishmel Demontagnac. I can’t see Ishy making the team ahead of Holmes, but Dann is likely to come back in place of Roper.

If Bradley and Ricketts are fit, I’d expect a starting eleven of:

Ince, Weston, Dann, Gerrard, Boertien, Sonko, Wrack, Bradley, Holmes, Mooney, Ricketts.

If Bradley and Ricketts are missing then Dobson and Deeney are the likely replacements.

There is no team news from the Orient camp as yet, but they did line up at Northampton on Friday night like this:

Nelson, Oji, Mkandawire, Saah, Daniels, Chambers, Terry, Thornton, Demetriou, Barcham, Boyd.

Subs: Morris, Echanomi, Purches, Melligan, Corden.

Predictions?

Not many would have predicted it at the start of the season, but, with Walsall going into the game in fourth place and Orient in seventh, a point behind, this is a promotion six-pointer.

It’s Orient’s away form that is letting them down at the moment, as they have lost six times on the road this season so far, three times as many games as the Saddlers have lost. The last two away games have been particularly disappointing for them, having gone down 0 – 2 at Northampton last time out and 0 – 4 at Forest in the previous away trip.

I’ll take the Saddlers to win this one to further their promotion prospects, especially if they are back up to full strength.

I’ve been waiting a week to use that headline.

As was expected, Danny Fox has finally signed on the dotted line for Championship Coventry City during the course of the weekend.

From the moment that the full back refused to sign a new contract, his departure during the transfer window has looked to be inevitable, as the club would have been mad not to cash in while it could. It was always more of a question of which club he would join.

Leeds United were first in the hunt, but the club turned down their offer as just not enough for the talented youngster. That was followed by Colchester and Coventry and the Sky Blues always looked like being favourites, as Colchester are locked in a relegation battle.

Fox had made 117 full appearances for the Saddlers since joining from Everton in 2005, plus 1 as sub, scoring 6 league goals. He has been a member, over the last season and a half, of one of the most successful back fours in the club’s history.

His appreciation of his time at Walsall is shown by his quote to the Express and Star, when he said:

“I have loved my time at Walsall. I have spent two full seasons there and I can’t speak highly enough of everyone at the club. I owe so much to Richard Money. He has made me the player I am today and without him I wouldn’t be signing for a club like Coventry. He is a great coach but more importantly he stuck with me through some tough times. There were times last season when I don’t think I played very well and there were a couple of times when he left me out, rightly so. But he showed faith and stuck with me and hopefully I have repaid him and the club with some good performances this season.”

He also apologised in the paper for handing in his transfer request, admitting that he should have been more patient.

The question now is whether Richard Money will be able to use the cash to strengthen the squad up front and in midfield, especially in view of the fact we have a more than adequate replacement at fullback in the shape of Paul Boertien.