Mat Sadler delighted with 'appetite' of Walsall's front line

Walsall were rocked by Freddie Draper’s recall from Lincoln City at the start of the month, and will now be without Danny Johnson for the next six to eight weeks due to a broken toe. Draper found the net 10 times during his loan at Bescot, whilst last season’s top scorer Johnson has netted five goals across all competitions. Nonetheless, Sadler is content with his options, after bolstering his attacking ranks with the loan signings of Mo Faal and Josh Gordon from Albion and Burton respectively. Faal was handed his debut from the start in Walsall’s 1-1 home draw against Sutton United on Saturday, and Gordon has featured twice from the bench since his return.

Douglas James-Taylor has already scored twice in 2024, but was replaced at the break after a quiet display on the weekend. Meanwhile, Jamille Matt made his comeback from a groin injury when we was introduced at the start of the second half and Aramide Oteh is close to recovering from a long-term hamstring issue.

Sadler said: “They will all be challenging each other and wanting to start every game. I get that but it’s up to me to choose the right ones for the right games, and they are all going to play a part. It’s great to have that kind of appetite between them. They all egg each other on, work hard together and that’s very healthy.

“Mo (Faal) and Flash (Josh Gordon) have settled into the group really well. We knew we needed to strengthen once Freddie had gone back.

“We knew that we needed to readjust for the second half of the season and we’re pleased with what we’ve got.”