Dave Penney will have several key players back for Saturday's Coca-Cola Football League 2 Play-Off semi-final 1st leg with Rochdale at the Balfour Webnet Darlington Arena.

Julian Joachim has recovered from an ankle injury, and will play his first game for just over a month.

Buy with strikers Pawel Abbott and Gregg Blundell ruled out, Joachim is likely to partner Tommy Wright in attack, with Neil Wainwright keeping his place on the right wing.

Joachim suffered a badly sprained ankle on Stockport County's rutted pitch, but has now thankfully made a full recovery.

Wright is fully fit again after being rested for last weekend's morale-boosting win at Peterborough United, Quakers' first for nine games, while skipper Steve Foster will also be back in action.

Full-back Ryan Valentine is winning his battle against a knee injury, while keeper David Stockdale's bruised foot is easing.

Striker Guylain N'Dumbu-Nsungu has recovered from a groin strain and could be on the bench.

The visitors are unbeaten in 10 games and are considered by many to be favourites. They won one of the games between the sides in the Coca-Cola Football League Two (3-1) while the other was drawn (1-1).

Dale were unbeaten in their last ten games of the regular season, but manager Keith Hill knows that the Play-Offs can be a lottery.

"Our away form has been good all season long and we have done well in the league," he said.

"There is a lot of confidence as we approach the game but no arrogance and we are in good form having lost just once in our final 12 games.

"You are in the lap of the footballing gods in the Play-Offs and we have to make sure that we don't under-react or over-react to situations that might develop up at Darlington.

"We have a very young squad and, though there is a real determination to win, there isn't a lot of know-how when it comes to approaching this type of game.

"This is a three-hour cup tie and that is how we are going to play it."