Walsall vs Peterborough - match preview

Having seen one, Dean Smith, walk out of the door at Walsall last month, he then watched with no little delight as the other, Sean O'Driscoll, promptly walked in to replace him.

O'Driscoll was manager at Doncaster when a then teenage Lalkovic went on loan from Chelsea.

"He is the first one who gave me my chance," smiles the forward. "The gaffer (Smith) left and that was disappointing because he was the reason I came back to Walsall

"But then the other gaffer, who I really like, came here. It was fantastic, I'm really happy."

Lalkovic – and the Saddlers in turn – have benefited from the patience Smith showed in a player who often struggled for consistency.

O'Driscoll too is a man who knows that, where Lalkovic is concerned, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

"He can frustrate the life out of everybody but I don't think you are ever going to change him," said the head coach after Lalkovic's seventh goal of the season earned the Saddlers a 1-0 Boxing Day win at Millwall.

"You have to give him the freedom to do what he is good at. He is Milan, all of a sudden he will do something to get us a chance or get us three points."

With Jordan Cook having been restricted in training because of an ankle injury, Lalkovic may be asked to continue as a lone striker for today's game with Peterborough.

Rico Henry, having recovered from an ankle knock, should replace Andy Taylor, who suffered a dead leg at Millwall.

Likely line-ups

Walsall (4-2-3-1) Etheridge, Demetriou, Downing, O'Connor, Henry, Chambers, Mantom, Morris, Sawyers, Forde, Lalkovic.

Subs: Preston, Evans, Baxendale, Flanagan, Kinsella, Cook, Roberts (gk).

Peterborough (3-5-2) Alnwick, Smith, Santos, Bostwick, Maddison, Oztumer, Beautyman, Forrester, Taylor, Washington, Coulibaly.

Subs: Baldwin, Fox, Angol, Addison, Samuelson, Nicholson, Henry (gk).