v 
SHRIMPERS
For Southend, Francis Laurent (ankle), winger Damian Scannell (ankle) and Craig Calver, who completes a three match suspension, will be missing.
Club captain and centre-half Adam Barrett would be expected to return to the team after being rested for Tuesday night's 2-1 Carling Cup win at Cheltenham Town, but who plays with him?
Both M'Voto and Heath looked good in the centre, though against League Two opposittion. Maybe Adam will play at left-back but White also played well. If the Blues skipper is not 100%, and many believe that cost us towards the end of the Huddersfield game last week, he should not start.
Midfielder Lee Sawyer, surprisingly fit for the midweek game, and striker Dougie Freedman, all ready to hear his new chant, will be expected again to start on the subs bench.
Speaking to Blues Player the Chelsea loanee said: "I was originally supposed to be out for three weeks with the injury so it's great to be back earlier than expected," said the 19-year-old who is on loan from Chelsea for the second time. It's better than we thought and it was brilliant to be able to come on and play at Cheltenham on Tuesday night. It would be great to start at Walsall now but I know that there are a lot of good players vying for selection in midfield and I might have to wait for my chance which I fully understand."
Meanwhile, the early season form of right-back Simon Francis is a reason to be cheerful, it was his accurate crosses that led to both Barnard's goals in the cup-tie. Always willing to get into attacking positions, Tilly's choice of Anthony Grant to play a more defensive role in front of him has helped Simon and others to get more forward.
Francis, also speaking to Blues Player, explained further: "I think it's going well with Granty being just ahead of me. It's not his natural position but I know that if I get forward then he will tuck in for me and nice to have that. Being a right-back obviously defending is my priority but everyone knows I like to get forward and it was great that someone could get on the end of my crosses at Cheltenham and hopefully that can keep on happening."
Lee Barnard certainly hopes that the case, after three goals in the first two games, and two goals in his last three starts against Walsall, telling the Echo: "It does help you mentally when you play a team you've scored against before. I've also had my best ever start to the season so it would be nice to keep that going."
Finally, Blues boss Steve Tilson, speaking to the official site, wants to forget last season's 5-2 defeat at the Bescott Stadium and concentrate on the new campaign: "Revenge isn't something that we will think about and we just want to keep our good start to the season going. We've had two good performances to begin with against Huddersfield and Cheltenham and if we return home from Walsall still unbeaten then we will have done superbly. That (1-0 win at Brighton) was a great result for Walsall and they are a good team. We will need to play well again to get something out of the game because I'm sure they will want to put on a good show in their first home league game of the season."
Southend United (from): Mildenhall, Francis, Heath, Barrett, White, Grant, McCormack, Sawyer, Moussa, Barnard, Freedman, Walker, Revell, Betsy, Christophe, Joyce, M'Voto, Sankofa and Herd.
OPPOSITION
Breaking News: Fat Boy Ricketts has left Walsall and joined.....Tranmere Rovers; so we can still take the piss!
Walsall will have Clayton Ince and Mark Bradley returning from international duty, with Trinidad and Wales respectively this weekend.
Injury doubts hang over over skipper Mark Hughes and winger Peter Till, while Rhys Weston also faces a suspension following his red card.
It might be best to read a report on the Brighton league game to get a truer picture of the challenge Southend face than the Saddler's deppressing 2-1 injury-time defeat in the Carling Cup at Accrington Stanley.
You have to go back to 2002 for the last time Walsall were turned over in a curtain-raiser - and even then they only fell to then-Championship giants Ipswich Town.
Since then, the Saddlers - playing under several different managers and with scores of different players - have always taken something out of their opening fixture.
Granted, this win might have not have been as thrilling as the 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion in 2003 or as impressive as Richard Money's first game in charge at Rochdale in 2006.
But nonetheless it gave the travelling contingent of fans a great deal of encouragement as Walsall bested one of the fancied teams in League One.
So they fully deserved the opening goal even though it came via an unexpected source as a Rhys Weston cross was headed into his own net by Brighton defender Andrew Whing on the half-hour after pressure from Troy Deeney.
It could have been 2-0 at the break but Dwayne Mattis sent a header just wide from a Richards corner two minutes before the interval.
Former Walsall man Mark Wright looked dangerous for the Seagulls and tested Clayton Ince after the break, while the keeper also did well to get out quickly at the feet of Andrew Crofts.
Nicky Forster headed over and Liam Dickinson fizzed a shot just wide as the Saddlers were forced to weather a Brighton storm.
However, they hung on despite a late scare when Ince punched a cross into the path of Crofts but he shot wide from the edge of the area.
Walsall must be wishing it could be opening day every day...
WALSALL: Ince, Weston, Smith, Hughes, Vincent, Till (Bardley 88), Richards, Mattis, Jones (Taundry 65), Deeney (Nicholls 74), Parkin.
(Report re-printed from the Walsall Advertiser)
Catch the Saddlers goal at Brighton here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/8185496.stm
Oh go on, here's the Accrington goals as well: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/8198106.stm
Read about how assistant boss Martin O'Connor believes 'discipline will beat the Blues' here:
www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=457549
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WEATHER
Cloudy, but a warm 22.
REF
The man in the middle is Jon Moss from West Yorkshire.
He gives an interview here: www.refworld.com/referee/155/1/jon-moss
FIXTURES
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009; (all kick-offs 19.45): Brentford v Norwich, Colchester v Gillingham, Exeter v Yeovil, Hartlepool v Bristol Rovers, Huddersfield v Brighton, Leyton Orient v Charlton, Millwall v Oldham, Stockport v Carlisle, Swindon v Southampton, Tranmere v MK Dons, Walsall v Leeds United, Wycombe v Southend.
Friday, August 21st, 2009: Southend v Millwall, 19:45.
BET
Promotion:
Leeds - 5/6, Charlton - 11/4, Huddersfield- 7/2.
Walsall - 12/1 , Southend - 7/1.
Walsall - 11/8, Draw - 5/2; Southend - 21/10.
PUB AND PIES
S24 recommends the Walsall Club Bar for a pint before the game but for other choices to be found in Birmingham go here:
HISTORY
The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club were one of the founder members of the Second Division in 1892, but have spent their entire existence outside of English football's top division; their highest league finish was sixth in Division Two in 1898-99.
Walsall moved into their Bescot Stadium in 1990, having previously played at nearby Fellows Park. The ground is now known as Banks's Stadium for sponsorship purposes.
The team play in a red and white kit and their club crest features a swift. They have rivalries with neighbouring Black Country teams, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with more 'traditional' rivalries with Shrewsbury Town and Port Vale.
The club's nickname, The Saddlers, reflects Walsall's status as a traditional centre for saddle manufacture.
For a full history go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walsall_F.C.