Northampton and Port Vale will be looking to become upwardly mobile once more this weekend.
Cobblers and Vale go in search of priceless points
Northampton and Port Vale will be looking to become upwardly mobile once more this weekend.
The Cobblers have now gone six games since their last success and know they must improve if they are to steer clear of trouble.
Vale have fared little better of late, taking one win from their last seven outings, but they could move back into the top half of the table with three points on Saturday.
Northampton team news
Northampton boss Ian Sampson has several injury concerns to contend with.
Craig Hinton (ankle) and Andy Holt (groin) have joined team-mates Chris McCready (hamstring), Liam Davis (foot), Luke Guttridge (knee) and Abdul Osman (back) in the treatment room.
Steve Guinan will also miss the clash as he prepares to undergo a hernia operation next Tuesday.
But Dean Beckwith could start after recovering from a hamstring injury in time to make a substitute appearance last weekend.
Gary Mulligan (back) managed to take part in training on Thursday and should be on the bench, while Joe Benjamin is in contention after returning from his loan spell with Eastbourne.
Sampson told the club's
official website: "The squad is a bit depleted and we will definitely have to make one or two changes to the team on Saturday."
Vale team news
Port Vale welcome back Gareth Owen for the trip to Sixfields.
The centre-back returned to full training on Monday having made a quicker than expected recovery from an operation to repair his fractured cheekbone and is expected to go straight back into Micky Adams' starting XI.
Vale will be without on-loan striker Sean Rigg as he serves a one-match ban for collecting five yellow cards.
Adams has seen his side perform better on the road than they have at Vale Park this season and they are unbeaten in seven games on their travels.
But he faces some selection posers after the defeat to Morecambe last weekend, not least whether to keep faith with the 3-5-2 formation or revert back to his regular 3-4-3 system.
