Shrewsbury vs Walsall preview
Friday 3 May 2019 14:37, UK
Shrewsbury are without Ryan Sears for the visit of Walsall after confirming he will be out for nine months.
The defender suffered a serious knee injury in training, rupturing his ACL, and needs surgery. Midfielder David Edwards (ankle) and goalkeeper Steve Arnold (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.
The Shrews are safe following their 1-1 draw at Coventry on Sunday.
Walsall will be relegated if they lose at Montgomery Waters Meadow. They are a point from safety and need to get a result and rely on others to stay in Sky Bet League One.
Kory Roberts is out with a broken leg having been sidelined all season after suffering the injury last summer. Adam Chambers is back in training after breaking his foot on the opening day.
Opta stats
Shrewsbury have won just two of their last 17 league encounters with Walsall (D6 L9), winning once in the previous 10 (D3 L6).
Walsall have failed to score in their last two league games against Shrewsbury, as many as in their previous 19.
Shrewsbury have only won two of their 10 home league games in 2019 (D4 L4), with two of those losses coming in the last three at home.
Walsall have only registered one point from their last eight League One games on the road (D1 L7), losing each of the last four.
Walsall have conceded 15 goals in the opening 15 minutes of League One action this season; more than any other side in the division.
Prutton's prediction
It is no surprise that we go down to the wire in the League One relegation battle pretty much none the wiser of who could still go down.
There are three spots up for grabs and realistically five teams that could fill them. AFC Wimbledon should have enough to beat Bradford and stay safe, meaning we are left with three from four. Southend start the day outside the bottom four but have the toughest game against Sunderland, while Plymouth and Scunthorpe face each other in a massive game at Home Park. Then there is Walsall, in between that pair, who travel to Shrewsbury.
It is so tough and tight to call. I think Walsall will win at Shrewsbury, and Plymouth and Scunthorpe will draw. But it will all be irrelevant because I am going to back Southend to sneak a shock win against a disheartened Sunderland side, who will likely rest a few players, and be the other team celebrating survival.
David Prutton predicts: Scunthorpe to be relegated (1/9 with Sky Bet), Walsall to be relegated (1/5 with Sky Bet) and Plymouth to be relegated (1/2 with Sky Bet)
