Northampton Town host rivals Peterborough United in the seventy-third edition of the Nene Derby in League One.
Here is everything you need to know about the fixture:
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Team News:
Northampton were hit hard at the start of the season by injury but Cobblers boss Keith Curle has a squad which is very close to full fitness. Scott Pollock is the only man who remains sidelined with a groin problem.
Curle has confirmed there is one other illness in the squad who could be touch and go to face Posh but has not confirmed who the player is that may miss out.
The Cobblers will also be without defender Joe Martin who was sent off in their defeat to Bristol Rovers last weekend.
As for Peterborough, young striker Ricky-Jade Jones will be out having been sent for a leg operation which will keep him out for two to three months. Aside from that Posh boss Darren Ferguson has a fully-fit squad to choose from.
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Predicted Line-ups:
Curle will hope to field an eleven to win the derby in his traditional 3-5-2 formation.
Meanwhile, Posh boss Ferguson should go with the traditional 4-4-2 shape.
Northampton Town: Arnold, Harriman, Bolger, Racic, Horsfall, Mills, Watson, Missilou, Hoskins, Rose, Ashley-Seal.
Peterborough United: Pym, Butler, Thompson, Kent, Beevers, Ward, Taylor, Reed, Szmodics, Dembele, Clarke-Harris.
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Ones to watch
For the hosts Northampton, summer signing Benny Ashley-Seal will be one to watch if selected by Curle on Saturday afternoon.
The forward looked promising on Tuesday night in Northampton's EFL Trophy clash with Southampton U21's, where he netted twice in a 5-0 win.
The 21-year-old joined the Cobblers from Wolves for an undisclosed fee and is hoping to make his name with Northampton in the EFL having not been able to break into the Wolves, first team.
Another man that will be a danger for the Cobblers is another one of their recent signings Danny Rose.
The forward has a whole host of experience having scored 65 EFL goals in over 280 appearances.
The twenty-six-year-old will be keen to make his league debut for the Cobblers and opening his account for Northampton against Posh will surely make him a fans favourite so soon after putting pen to paper.
As for Posh, attacking midfielder Sammie Szmodics will hope to cause problems in the final third on Saturday. The midfielder already has two goals and an assist for Peterborough this season.
Posh fans will be encouraged by Szmodics' record at the PTS Academy Stadium when he grabbed a goal and assist against Northampton for Colchester United in February 2019.
Northampton will also want to be wary of Posh forward Jonson Clarke-Harris. The experienced forward got his first two goals in a Posh shirt last Saturday in their win against Swindon Town and will hope to add to that on derby day this weekend. I
In addition to that, Clarke-Harris has a fantastic record in the third tier over the past two seasons scoring 24 goals in just 42 appearances for Bristol Rovers.
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Derby history
The two rivals have faced each other on 72 previous occasions, the first dating back to December 1946 when the sides drew 1-1 in an FA Cup tie.
Since then Northampton have come out on top 21 times, with 19 draws and 32 Posh wins.
Peterborough have not lost to Northampton since April 2006 when were beaten by a goal to nil thanks to a Scott McGleish winner for the Cobblers.
Another stat that will please Posh fans is they haven't been beaten at Northampton since December 2003.
The last time the sides met was in an EFL Trophy match back in September of 2019 where Posh came out on top by two goals to nil.
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Where to watch
Northampton Town season ticket holders have been sent a code to watch the game for free on iFollow. A guide on how to do this can be found here.
Northampton fans who are non-season ticket holders can purchase a live video match pass for £10 on the Northampton Town iFollow service.
Peterborough United fans can watch the game for the same price via iFollow Posh.
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Pre-match thoughts
Northampton boss Curle has made it quite clear that he knows what the derby means to Northampton fans and told the Northampton Chronicle and Echo:
"I was first told about the derby only a few days into the job," said Curle this week.
"One of the supporters, after my first game, wished me well and then said 'just make sure, when you get the chance, you beat Peterborough!'
"Past records don't really impact us," he added. "Every club has their own history and their own records but I'm here to make my own.
"That forward-thinking mentality is what I bring to every club I come to because we want to put down a structure that allows the club to make forward progress.
"Saturday will be a big test for us. They were very unlucky last season with how it all ended but we know about their strengths."
Peterborough boss Ferguson has warned Posh fans of the dangerous Northampton side he expects to come up against on Saturday. The Scottsman also told the Northampton Chronicle and Echo:
“It’s a tough game, but it’s a very big one for the players and the fans so it’s one we are desperate to win," he began
"Northampton are very dangerous opponents,” he said. “They play in a certain way and they are very good at it. It delivered them a promotion after all.
“They will be aggressive, they will be in our faces from the first minute, they will send plenty of balls into our penalty area and if we don’t stand up to them we will be in for a tough afternoon.
"We have to meet that challenge before we can impose our game on them. It’s going be tough for both sides. Neither team will want to give an inch. It will be frenetic."
