Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell has told the club’s official website that Notts County are a much better outfit than their league position suggests. Notts County, who reached last season’s play-off, have struggled at the bottom of the table this time around after sacking two managers earlier in the campaign.

Under current manager, Neal Ardley, the Magpies have significantly picked up in terms of results but they remain bottom the table as the fight it out with Yeovil and Macclesfield to remain in the EFL.

Crewe will come into the weekend game on the back of successive defeats at Cheltenham and Port Vale.

Ahead of the fixture at Gresty Road: "First of all I think Notts County have only lost one in five, they've sort of come back from the dead.

"It took them a while from when they brought a lot of players in during January, and they are going okay now.

"For any team down the bottom to have only one defeat in five is good.

"The underlying thing is they made the Play Offs last year, after only just missing out on automatic promotion, so their form might have been alarming but you know they are not as bad as what they have showed.

"Their recent results are showing that now. You can't say anyone is in a false position at this stage of the season but, at the same time, we have to be really wary we don't get caught out."

The boss added: "If we don't approach it right or play the right way it will be a tough afternoon."