Walsall v Hartlepool preview

Boss hopeful on duo's return

By Amanda Cornforth   Last updated: 2nd May 2008

demontagnacwalsall

Demontagnac: Doubt

Related links

Teams

Also see

Walsall caretaker manager Jimmy Mullen will hand late fitness tests to a host of players ahead of the visit of Hartlepool.

Mullen is hopeful that Lee Holmes and Troy Deeney will return to contention after missing the defeat at Huddersfield with calf complaints.

However, Ishmel Demontagnac is a doubt for the final game of the season after his knee problem flared up again this week while Stefan Moore is likely to remain sidelined with a calf injury.

Aaron Brown, who is yet to make an appearance for the Saddlers since his loan arrival from Reading in March, is definitely out with an ankle injury.

He will join long-term absentees Ian Roper and Paul Boertien on the sidelines, who have a broken foot and toe respectively.

Pools

Hartlepool boss Danny Wilson has a striker crisis to contend with for the final game of the season.

Richard Barker is again set to miss out with the hamstring injury which has kept him out since the 2-0 win over Yeovil on Easter Monday - and he is joined on the sidelines by Joel Porter.

The Australian frontman - who is out of contract at the end of the season - suffered a knock to his knee during the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend and could well have played his final game for the club.

Michael Mackay replaced Porter against Forest and will be hoping to deputise again, while on-loan defender Godwin Antwi could make his final appearance before returning to parent club Liverpool.

Walsall 4/5, Draw 12/5, Hartlepool 11/4