Preview: Walsall vs MK Dons - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to move back into the League Two playoff places, Walsall play host to MK Dons at the Bescot Stadium on Monday night.

The Saddlers missed the chance to break into the top seven after being held to a 2-2 draw by Grimsby Town on Wednesday, while the Dons were also forced to settle for a point as they played out a goalless stalemate with Crawley Town on Tuesday evening.

Match preview

After narrowly missing out on promotion last season following defeat to AFC Wimbledon in the playoff final, Mat Sadler and his Walsall side are determined to go one step further this time around and secure a return to the third tier for the 2026-27 campaign.

Heading into matchweek 32, the Saddlers sit just two points outside the the playoff spots with 50 points from their 31 matches, having recorded 14 wins, eight draws and nine defeats.

Although currently outside the League Two's top seven, Walsall have multiple games in hand on every side above them in the standings, bar Salford City, and could leapfrog several teams around them when they eventually catch up.

Wednesday's draw followed a familiar pattern for Sadler's men, who failed to covert promising positions into maximum points despite taking the lead twice, ultimately settling for their fourth draw in their last six league outings.

Although the result was frustrating, it did at least halt a run of successive defeats, and given they played with 10 men for much of the second half following Myles Roberts' dismissal just before the break, the point against a direct rival could yet prove valuable in the run-in.

MK Dons, meanwhile, also passed up the opportunity to strengthen their push for automatic promotion after being held at home by Crawley Town, though the result did extend their unbeaten run in League Two to eight matches.

Their last league loss came on New Year's Day in a 1-0 defeat to Paul Cook's Chesterfield, since then the Dons have gone unbeaten and earned impressive victories over Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham Town and Shrewsbury Town.

The good run of form and previous performances during the season mean Paul Warne's side come into this one sitting in fourth place and could move into the top three with a win on a Monday night.

With 16 wins, 10 draws and six losses, the Dons are very much in the promotion conversation and have seen a remarkable turnaround from last season's finish where they placed just outside the relegation zone in 19th.

A major factor behind their improvement has been their attacking output, with their 60 goals the highest in the division and four more than the next best.

Calum Paterson has been central to that attacking success, with the forward's 14 goals in 30 league appearances leaving him second in the race for the Golden Boot.

The pair lock horns for the second time this season, with the reverse fixture finishing 1-0 to Walsall back in August.

Walsall League Two form:

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MK Dons League Two form:

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Team News

As mentioned, Walsall will be without goalkeeper Roberts after he was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Grimsby Town's Andy Cook.

Sam Hornby was the substitute goalkeeper during the week and is expected to come in between the sticks on Monday.

Jamille Matt has not featured for the club since January and could miss out again here, expect Aaron Pressley to continue to lead the line in his absence and add to his five league goals this season.

Dan Crowley is expected to come into the midfield five alongside captain Alex Gilbey, as Warne continues with the 3-5-1-1 system that has served his side well in recent weeks.

Kane Wilson remains sidelined and will not feature as he continues his recovery.

Walsall possible starting lineup:

Hornby; Farquharson; Flint, Lopata; Clarke, Comley, Lakin, Okeke; Pattison, Pressley, Jellis

MK Dons possible starting lineup:

MacGillivray; Ekpiteta, Nelson, Offord; Jones, Crowley, Kelly, Gilbey, Mellish; Wiles; Hepburn-Murphy

We say: Walsall 1-2 MK Dons

Both sides come into this clash at the top end of the table and with hopes of ending this campaign in the playoff places. With their attacking firepower and strong unbeaten run, we expect the visitors to edge a competitive encounter and extend their streak to nine matches without defeat.

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