Chesterfield travel to face Port Vale this Saturday with manager Jon Brady confirming a significant injury blow to defender Liam Gordon. The full-back is expected to be sidelined for a month after picking up an injury while on international duty with Guyana.
Brady also revealed that striker Ben Waine is considered 'touch and go' for the weekend's fixture. "Ben Waine would be 'touch and go' for this weekend's game," the manager said, leaving his availability in doubt for the match at Vale Park. These absences will force a reshuffle for a side sitting seventh in League Two with 15 points from 10 games.
Port Vale, who are 22nd in the table, have their own selection headaches. They will be without midfielder Ryan Croasdale, who is not expected back until November, and Matty Craig, who is out for the season with an ACL injury. The hosts are coming off a 1-0 win over Grimsby Town, where Kyle Dempsey scored the decisive goal.
Recent form and head-to-head
Chesterfield's form has been mixed, with a 2-2 draw away at Crawley Town in their last outing. Lee Bonis and Louie Marsh were on the scoresheet in that game, continuing their strong contributions this season. Bonis, the club's top scorer with 13 goals in 47 appearances, will be a key threat again.
The two sides met recently in the EFL Trophy, playing out a 1-1 draw at Chesterfield's ground on 22 September. That result is part of a recent run where Chesterfield have taken two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five league games.
Managerial context and referee detail
This fixture sees Chesterfield boss Paul Cook return to a club he first managed in October 2012. Cook, now 59, guided the Spireites to the League Two title in the 2013/14 season and later led them to the National League title in 2024 after returning for a second spell.
The match will be officiated by referee Blair, who will be taking charge of a game at Vale Park for the first time in his career. He has made 89 career appearances as a match official, including 10 across League One and Two since his first EFL game in the 2025/26 season.
Chesterfield's league position shows they are four points behind leaders Salford City. The game kicks off on Saturday 17 October as the Spireites look to improve on their away record.
