On Boxing Day Walsall travel to Ashton Gate to face bottom of the table Bristol City.This game will be a home coming of sorts for First-Team Coach Richard O'Kelly who left Walsall to join The Robins in January 2013 following the appointment of long-term friend Sean O'Driscoll. This was to be short-lived however as Richard resigned his position in May, citing family reasons, he would re-sign a contract with Walsall just a week later.
Walsall are expected to make a couple of changes from the weekend as they'll be without Adam Chambers who is suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Carlisle United, defender Paul Downing remains one booking away from an automatic one-match ban. Whilst top scorer Craig Westcarr is fighting to be fit after limping off last weekend.
Carlisle will be boosted by the return of Karleigh Osbourne who missed Saturday's draw with Notts County through suspension.
In terms of head-to-head, Bristol City hold a slight overall lead with twenty-six wins to Walsall's twenty-one, there have also been fifteen draws.
This will be the clubs first meeting in around seven years, the Saddlers suffered 3-0 defeats in the last two League One outings.
Referee David Webb is set to take charge of the game, he has officiated over seventeen games in various competitions this season, where he has issued fifty-three yellow cards along with just one red.
Mark Derrien and Steven Plane are scheduled to be running the lines, whilst Kevin Johnson is due to be Fourth Official.