James Chambers: Walsall have strength in depth

The veteran defender insists the Saddlers can cope without top scorer Tom Bradshaw despite winning only one of the eight league games the striker has missed with a hamstring injury.

Manager Dean Smith has also been without last year's player of the season Sam Mantom for almost the entire campaign but while Chambers admits both are talented players, he claims there are others in the squad who should be capable of stepping up at every position.

"They are very good players but we are not a one-man team," he said. "We have players in each position who can do a very good job and the squad is probably the best it has been for quite a while.

"There is strength in depth and the manager has a headache.

"Every player has their attributes and there are pros and cons for each player, one player coming in means we are able to do one thing a certain way in the game.

"Another player in coming might mean something different but there will be attributes that player has as well."

Bradshaw, who is set to return for next week's Johnstone's Paint Trophy Area semi-final at Tranmere, comfortably topping the club's scoring charts with nine goals. Romaine Sawyers is second with four goals but no other player has scored more than one.

Chambers believes those statistics will improve as the season moves on.

"It is not about one player, Tom has obviously done very well this season and got quite a few goals," he added. "But there are others who are capable of putting the ball in the back of the net and hopefully that shows through the season.

" It should even out a lot more and hopefully defenders get in on the act too. We defend as a team and we attack as a team."

An early FA Cup exit means the Saddlers now have a weekend off ahead of the Tranmere tie and Chambers admits it is a chance for players to get some rest before the busy Christmas period gets underway.

"Things have been coming thick and fast with the cup games in recent weeks as well," he said. "The manager might potentially change a few little things about training.

"We just have to make sure we are ready to perform."