DANNY CADAMARTERI has been the one grabbing the headlines, but Town have another equally effective comeback star in their ranks.
Like Cadamarteri, Frank Sinclair has been suffering with a hamstring injury, and like the striker, the former Chelsea, Leicester and Burnley defender made his return from the bench at Northampton.
Neither were able to stop Town sliding to a 3-0 League I defeat at Sixfields, but both were back in the starting side against Luton last Saturday, when they played key roles in a 2-0 home victory.
That was followed up by Tuesday’s 1-1 Galpharm draw with Nottingham Forest, when Sinclair came face to face with his former Leicester teammate Neil Lennon.
While two-goal Cadamarteri misses out at Walsall tomorrow because of suspension, SInclair will line up in a defence seeking a second clean sheet in three games.
With Walsall winning 1-0 at Hartlepool last Saturday and 3-2 at Doncaster on Tuesday, the former Jamaican international knows Town won’t have an easy ride at the Banks’s (formerly Bescot) Stadium.
“It could well be one of those games where we have to roll our sleeves up and dig in,” said the 35-year-old, who signed on a one-year contract in the summer after playing 13 times on loan from Burnley last season.
“They’ll be up for it, and I’ve got a feeling it isn’t going to be pretty, but there’s no reason why we can’t go down there and get the win.
“We produced good performances against both Luton and Forest, and we need to push on and find some consistency.”
Sinclair initially suffered his injury at Blackpool in the Carling Cup, Town’s second match of the season, and while he returned for the match at Millwall on September 1, he was forced off just before half-time after the problem flared up again.
This time he’s confident the healing process is complete.
“It feels like it’s knitted together well, and I feel fine,” he said.
“All credit to (physio) Lee Martin, because he worked me hard during the recovery process to ensure I didn’t lose too much core fitness.
“It’s great to have a couple of full games under my belt, and I’m hoping to get into a groove of playing matches regularly now.”
Walsall will hand a third appearance to Dwayne Mattis, the former Town midfielder who is on loan from Barnsley (see interview Page 45).
And manager Richard Money is monitoring the fitness of centre-back Ian Roper, who has missed the last two matches through illness.
Scott Dann and Anthony Gerrard have combined in his absence.
Walsall (from): Ince, Weston, Deeney, Dann, Gerrard, Fox, Sonko, Deeney, Dobson, Mattis, Demontagnac, Mooney, Hall, Bradley, McDermott, Weston, Bossu.
Town (from): Glennon, Sinclair, Skarz, Keogh, N Clarke, Mirfin, Hardy, Collins, Wallwork, Holdsworth, Brandon, Young, Kamara, Beckett, Booth, Akins, Racchi, Berrett, Smithies.
Referee: Ray Lee (Essex)
