JON WORTHINGTON and James Berrett come back into the frame as Gerry Murphy bids to end his second spell as caretaker manager with a third straight League I win tomorrow.
The Irishman, with two draws and two victories already under his belt, will give way to new management duo Stan Ternent and Ronnie Jepson after the visit of Walsall, who haven’t won in any of their 13 previous visits to Huddersfield.
He’d love to finish with a three-point flourish, but is wary of a backlash after the Saddlers this week parted company with boss Richard Money.
The former Liverpool and Fulham player, who took Walsall to the League II title last season, resigned after missing out on the play-offs this time around.
Last Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat by Bournemouth ended any lingering hopes, although the damage was really done when Money’s men went down 1-0 to Bristol Rovers in the West Midlands on the same night Town beat Leeds by that scoreline.
Town, in 12th after beating Tranmere 1-0 at the Galpharm last Saturday, will move onto the same 63-point mark as eighth-placed Walsall by winning, and Murphy said: “That’s the aim, but we won’t take anything for granted.
“It’s very common for teams to raise their game after a manager leaves and (caretaker boss) Jimmy Mullen will have them geed up and well organised.”
Murphy expects the tactical reports he’s received on Walsall to remain valid, explaining: “Jimmy was part of Richard Money’s management team.
“He’ll be well versed with the players and the way they play, so I wouldn’t expect him to tinker too much at this late stage of the season.”
Town, of course, will be watched by Ternent and Jepson, although Murphy and Graham Mitchell are set to be the men in the dug-out.
“The players have everything to play for, and they’ll all be eager to go out and impress,” added Murphy, who plans to stick with his favoured 3-5-2 formation.
Worthington is back after a one-match ban and fellow midfielder Berrett following a game out with a knee injury picked up in training.
If both start, it would mean a return to right-back for Andy Holdsworth, while Murphy must choose between Malvin Kamara and Danny Schofield to partner Andy Booth up front.
Schofield came on for Kamara during the Tranmere match and had a sharpener on Wednesday, when he played the first 45 minutes of the 2-2 reserve draw against Wolves.
He was replaced by Danny Broadbent, the teenage striker who has forced his way into the reckoning under former manager Andy Ritchie but then sustained an ankle injury.
Town will be aiming to avenge the 4-0 defeat suffered down at Walsall in October.
Town: Glennon, Holdsworth, Williams, Skarz, T Clarke, N Clarke, Mirfin, Page, Berrett, Worthington, Collins, Booth, Kamara, Schofield, Beckett, Hardy, Broadbent, Harris, Smithies.
Walsall: Ince, Weston, Smith, Gerrard, Taundry, Bradley, Dobson, Holmes, Deeney, Mooney, Betsy, Nicholls, N’Dour, Bossu, Brown, Sonko.
Referee: Grant Hegley (Herts).
