Blackpool vs Walsall preview
Friday 8 February 2019 10:57, UK
Blackpool captain Jay Spearing will miss the Sky Bet League One clash with Walsall after being ruled out for a month with a knee injury.
The midfielder picked up the problem in the Tangerine's 2-2 draw against Wycombe on Tuesday. Callum Guy is also sidelined with an ankle injury having come off in the 0-0 draw with Shrewsbury last month. Long-term absentees Jimmy Ryan (knee) and Max Clayton (hamstring) remain out for the hosts.
Walsall boss Dean Keates could make changes to arrest their slump in form. Zeli Ismail and Liam Kinsella were left out of the squad which lost 2-1 to Rochdale and the duo could return.
Captain Adam Chambers remains sideline with a broken foot he suffered in August while Kory Roberts has missed the entire campaign after breaking his leg in pre-season and is not expected back until next term. Walsall, who sit three points above the relegation zone, have won just one of their last nine league games and go into Saturday's fixture having suffered back-to-back defeats.
Opta stats
Each of the last four league meetings between Blackpool and Walsall have finished level, albeit only one of these was at Bloomfield Road, a 2-2 draw in February 2018.
Walsall have only won one of their last four league visits to Blackpool (D1 L2), although this was a 4-0 thrashing on August 2015 under manager Dean Smith.
Blackpool are unbeaten in their last four games in League One (W2 D2), their longest run in the competition since October 2018 (11 games without defeat).
Walsall have lost their last two league games (both 1-2), while they haven't lost three in a row since March 2018 (a run of four consecutive defeats).
Armand Gnanduillet has been directly involved in half of Blackpool's last 12 goals in League One, scoring four and assisting two.
