The Cobblers make the trip to Cumbria aiming to maintain their healthy advantage at the top of League Two but know they will face a stern test against a side who have maintained a play-off challenge in very difficult circumstances this season.
Severe flooding in the city saw Carlisle forced to move their home games elsewhere over the Christmas and New Year period although Keith Curle’s men are now back at their own ground.
Speaking to local newspaper, The News & Star on Thursday, Curle said: "I'm hoping David Atkinson, Tom Miller and Danny Grainger will all be back training [today] and staking a claim for Saturday.
"We have had injuries to key personnel at different times but each time we have been finding enough resolve to gain us points."
The two sides met at Sixfields in October when two goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and a Sam Hoskins strike gave Northampton a 3-2 victory that moved them up to 5th in the League Two table.