Tomorrow evening we face Sunderland for the third time in as many days (oh the joys) but this time at the Stadium of Light on a Tuesday night (oh the joys) – the Saddlers will be hoping to make the Third Round of the FA Cup for only the second time in ten years.
Whomever is victorious tomorrow evening will face a trip to Championship side Bolton in the FA Cup Third Round.
TEAM NEWS
WALSALL
Walsall boss Dean Keates will be missing in form Andy Cook following his booking in the reverse fixture.
Apart from that Dean Keates has no fresh injury worries ahead of the game and will probably stick with the majority of the side that defeated Coventry City at the weekend.
SUNDERLAND
Bryan Oviedo and Luke O’Nien have started the last two games, whilst appearing from the subs bench in other weeks. Their claims to starting today remain strong. However, with both George Honeyman and Dylan McGeough available, will Ross decide to make changes?
Wyke and Watmore have been eased into the squad lately and may get a run out tomorrow evening.
Sunderland’s game at Accrington was abandoned at the weekend so they will be much fresher than the Saddlers.
LIKELY LINE UPS?
Walsall – Roberts, Devlin, Guthrie, Fitzwater, Martin, Leahy, Osbourne, Dobson, Kinsella, Ferrier, Gordon
Sunderland – McLaughlin, Matthews, Flanagan, Baldwin, James, Honeyman, McGeouch, Gooch, Maguire, McGeady, Maja
ONES TO WATCH
LUKE LEAHY (WALSALL)
Leahy scored two goals at the weekend to take his tally to three for the season. Leahy loves to get forward and in a wing back role its hoped he can continue where he left off on Saturday.
JOSH MAJA (SUNDERLAND)
Maja has scored ten goals already this term – twice the amount of Saddlers top scorer Andy Cook.
Maja signed from Fulham in 2015 and joined Sunderland academy. He signed a three year deal and is gathering interest from many Premier League sides following his ten goals in just sixteen games.
Lynden Gooch is also one to watch having provided seven assists so far this term.
PAST MEETINGS
The Saddlers have faced Sunderland on just fifteen occasions – Walsall 3, Draw 3, Sunderland 9.
The last time both sides met in the league came in just three weeks ago where the Saddlers were leading against ten man Sunderland only for them to equalise in the last five minutes.
Our last five games v Sunderland
01.12.18 – Walsall 1-1 Sunderland
24.11.18 – Walsall 2-2 Sunderland
03.03.04 – Walsall 1-3 Sunderland
21.09.99 – Walsall 0-5 Sunderland
08.10.88 – Walsall 2-0 Sunderland
MATCH OFFICIALS
Match Officials will appear here later….
MATCH PREDICTION
Sunderland should win this easily but they have been given a stern test against Walsall in recent weeks. Anything can happen in the cup and we have faced and beaten much stronger teams than Sunderland in the past, however given the run of games lately I just feel Sunderland will have more in their tank than us…
VITAL PREDICTION – SUNDERLAND 2-0 WALSALL
UP NEXT
Saturday 15th December
Sky Bet League 1
Walsall v Bradford
