Skipper Richards set to lead Cobblers attack with top-scorer Revell suspended

Top-scorer Alex Revell misses the showdown with the Shakers as he serves a one-match ban for picking up five bookings, and Richards will be hoping he gets the nod to make only his fourth league start of the campaign.

Although he started the season alongside Revell in the opening day draw with Fleetwood at Sixfields, Richards was at the time struggling to shake off the troublesome Achilles problem that saw his previous season ended prematurely.

But a spell of shockwave therapy has seen the player regain full fitness, and for the past month or so he has been able to train every day and build up his sharpness.

It means Richards, who started alongside Revell in the recent derby defeat at Peterborough United, will be raring to go if he is given the nod to spearhead the Cobblers attack.

Town boss Rob Page said: "Rico has come on and scored (in the defeat to Millwall), and I brought him on in a tactical move at Shrewsbury, which meant I could drop Revs back a little bit deeper.

"You know what you are going to get from Rico, he is a great professional, a goalscorer, and he is in contention for a start on Saturday.

"He has had a difficult time with his injuries, but now everything is fine and he is the fittest he has been.

"He has now issues with his injuries whatsoever, which is great for him as he has had a frustrating couple of years.

"We did a different type of treatment with him a couple of months back and it seems to have worked, which is great news for him and for us."