Walsall hit with injury blow to in form midfielder as Mat Sadler provides update on absentees

McEntee was forced off in the 84th-minute after scoring the second goal in Walsall's 2-0 win over Crewe Alexandra on Boxing Day.

The 22-year-old, who has scored six times in 27 appearances this term, missed the past two victories over Wrexham and Grimsby Town respectively.

And Walsall boss Mat Sadler has revealed it's "touch and go" whether the Irishman will feature again this season.

"Oisin is quite a long one. We're probably talking three months. It's touch and go whether he'll make anything before the end of the season," Sadler confirmed.

Harry Williams also dropped out of the squad with an abdominal issue, whilst Jamille Matt was unavailable due to a groin injury.

There will also be a nervous wait to determine how severe Freddie Draper's injury will be after he was withdrawn during the first half at Grimsby.

Furthermore, Sadler issued updates on Ryan Stirk (ankle), Ross Tierney (hamstring), Joe Riley (knee) and Aramide Oteh (hamstring), and labelled Walsall's run of four fixtures in nine days over the festive period as a contributing factor.

"Stirk is not so bad. He'll hopefully be fit for Stockport and hopefully Ross (Tierney) will be too. Riley might be available for Accrington, and Rem (Oteh) at the end of the month," he added.

"Yesterday in training, Harry (Williams) felt his abductor. Just another muscle injury. The training ground is very wet at the moment. It's not the same training programme as they are used to because there are so many games.

"It's been recovery and then a game. It's been relentless and I think that change and spike in their loads have really affected us. We've lost three or four because of that.

"It's ridiculous the amount of football they are asked to play. They played Friday night and the emotion of that, and then we go into today's game.

"That's not football. We all love it, and we all love our football as much as anyone else and the occasion on Friday was incredible, but I think we're asking the lads to do a hell of a lot.

"We're feeling the bite of that now. I can say it on the back of the victories because it's not me saying it after defeats.

"I am saying it off the back of doing well and finding ways to win games but it isn't right how much they're asked to play. But it is what it is and we must dust ourselves down and recover."