Jimmy Walker to face his former club

Walsall goalkeeper Jimmy Walker could have been facing off against the Saddlers this weekend - but for snow and a faulty fax machine.

The veteran shot-stopper goes head-to-head with Colchester tomorrow knowing a switch to Essex was on the cards had he extended a successful loan spell.

Walker made 16 appearances, including one in a 2-0 defeat to the Saddlers, for the U's during the 2008-09 season while on loan from West Ham.

But a series of events forced the goalkeeper back to Upton Park and left then-boss Paul Lambert furious United were unable to complete a deal until the end of the season.

Walker said: "I had a good couple of months and it was supposed to be longer but it got messed up on deadline day because the chairman was flying and my agent was stuck in snow.

"There was also a problem with the fax so we missed the deadline by literally a few minutes, otherwise I could still be there now.

"I had agreed to stay until the end of the season but in the end I went back to West Ham and that was it.

"It would have been nice to stay and finish the job for them but that was how it happened. I was more than happy to stay at the time.

"It's funny how things work, I ended up leaving there and going to Spurs, every cloud and all that! I had a great time at Colchester and really enjoyed it."

Striker Jason Price is set to return for Walsall with boss Dean Smith confident he can shake off Achilles trouble, leaving long-term injury victim Darren Byfield the only absentee with a knee injury.

Matt Gill will play his last game before returning to Norwich after being recalled by the Canaries.

The midfielder suffered a nightmare Norwich debut at the hands of Colchester when United won 7-1 at Carrow Road on the opening day of last season - a game he wants to forget.

He said: "A lot has changed since then and I would like to forget about that day as quickly as I can.

"It wasn't a great experience and a lot has happened since. Paul Lambert is now in charge at Norwich, we signed David Fox from Colchester who played that day and they are on their second manager. I'm not playing for Norwich tomorrow though.

"Norwich put the result to bed when they went there and won 5-0 last season. Everyone has been fighting for different things since then."

The U's still harbour play-off ambitions and sit 11th, five points off the top six.

But manager John Ward admitted the heat is on at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Colchester have not scored in their last six away games and know they must make home advantage count to make up for their failures on the road.

Ward, who is sweating on the fitness of striker Steven Gillespie with a hamstring injury, said: "We were disappointed with the result on Tuesday night (2-0 loss at Notts County).

"We should have scored goals, we had good opportunities to do that but we didn't and that's been one of our failings this season.

"At home that's not been too much of a problem though, we've been able to find goals there.

"However, it does put that little bit of extra pressure on winning your home games when you don't pick up a point away from home."