Darrell Clarke praises Walsall backroom team for keeping injuries at bay

The Saddlers had a handful of knocks at the beginning of the season, with Danny Guthrie and Stuart Sinclair missing minutes, before Callum Cockerill-Mollett pulled up with a hamstring strain during the win against Grimsby Town.

Clarke has now revealed defender Cockerill-Mollett has been back in training this week, as he praised his team for keeping the players fit during a packed schedule.

“Injury front, really positive," he said.

"Callum Cockerill-Mollett has had his first week of training as well so touching wood, but we have a fully fit squad and that’s testament to everybody and my coaching staff at the minute.

"To be where we are and we’re going to need that full squad over the course of the games, so it’s pleasing to have a couple of sleepless nights but that squad is going to be used in force.”

Tomorrow's opponents Colchester are unbeaten in the league this season with three draws and a win.

Having missed out on promotion through the play-offs last season, Clarke is expecting a stern test.

"They made the play-offs last year, they're a top seven team, they've continued that this season," Clarke added.

"They have good players. We respect every team that we play against but we'll be trying to get on the front foot.

"We've got good players, so I think it will be an entertaining game.

"I don't want to curse it, but I think they have very good forward thinking players and likewise so have we.

"Hopefully it's a good game to watch on the eye but at the end of the day I don't care how we do it, we want to win the game."

Meanwhile, Clarke has urged his side to stay positive and work from that mindset as they tackle the challenging schedule ahead of them.

“I’d be saying this if we were on bad runs but for me positivity," he said.

"There’s so much negativity, let’s not just talk about the footballing world, there’s so much negativity around now.

"You’ve got to be positive in your approach in everything that you do. There’s a lot of doom and gloom because these times are very challenging but we try and create a positive environment here, when we have our setbacks we respond in a positive manner and not feel sorry for ourselves.

"We have got to keep that focus, it’s a long season. Looking at my calendar it’s Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday for the near future and that’s a hell of a lot of games incorporated in a short space of time.

"We’re going to need the whole squad and the whole football club pulling together during that course but let’s do it in a positive manner and let’s not be negative in our approach.”