Walsall manager Chris Hutchings insists he will have no problems unleashing his wingless wonders in two weeks.

The Saddlers lined up in a 4-3-3 formation again as they went down to a battling 2-0 defeat against Coventry at the Banks’s Stadium on Saturday.

The hosts impressed in the experimental line-up – which they also used in the 4-0 defeat to Wolves – and Hutchings is prepared to field it in the League One opener against Milton Keynes Dons on August 7.

He said: “I wouldn’t say it’s coming more to the fore than 4-4-2, but it’s something I’m definitely considering.

“I asked the lads if they were more comfy in the system on Saturday and they were. It’s given them the confidence and belief that, if we want to play that way, we can.

“With the players we have, it’s about how we get the best out of them.”

Hutchings revealed he deliberately wanted his players to experience the good and bad points of the formation over the last week.

He said: “When you are under the cosh it’s about knowing what to do and when to do it and against Wolves we found that very difficult. Against Coventry it was a little bit closer.

“If we played Wolves again we wouldn’t play 4-3-3 and make it an open game, that’s for sure.

“We’re not stupid but we wanted to make it open that time because we wanted to test ourselves in how we dealt with things when it wasn’t going well for us.

“Against Coventry it was slightly more even but the rotation of midfield takes time to work on. We were playing a Championship side and they know how to play against those things and will stop you dead.

“You have to have a plan A, B and C.”

Former Wolves misfit Freddy Eastwood downed the impressive Saddlers on the hour before Shaun Jeffers bagged an undeserved second with the last kick of the game, leaving Hutchings disappointed.

He said: “For them to score right at the death was totally unjust and on another day we could have won 3-2 or 4-2.

“We created some very good chances and had some good passages of play.”

Hutchings rotated his squad and started goalkeeper David Bevan, Oliver Lancashire, Darren Byfield and Chris Stokes.

Aaron Lescott – captain for the day – lined up at right-back as trialist Stokes slotted in on the left. Roy O’Donovan’s fourth-minute strike was chalked out for offside as Coventry started brightly, contrasting the Saddlers’ slow opening.

But the hosts soon found their rhythm and, while the lack of a final ball let them down, there was enough to suggest Walsall were a match for the Sky Blues.

Ben Turner blocked Troy Deeney’s goalbound strike before Alex Nicholls was off target.

The Saddlers began to boss their Championship visitors and Stokes was the next to have Sky Blues goalkeeper Keiren Westwood scrambling with a 20-yard drive.

But the hosts almost paid for their profligacy when Bevan spilled Eastwood’s shot, before saving Gary McSheffrey’s follow-up six minutes before the break.

Byfield nearly capped an impressive first-half display when his 25-yard effort whistled past Westwood’s upright.

Paul Marshall forced Westwood into a fine fingertip save two minutes after the break as the Saddlers continued to press.

But, after McSheffrey headed over, former Molineux man Eastwood fired the visitors in front with a crisp 20-yard drive on the hour.

It was harsh on the Saddlers and 60 seconds later Byfield blew his big chance when racing through but allowed Westwood to get fingertips to his shot.

Steve Jones then miscued after good work from Jamie Paterson, but the Saddlers were undone at the death when Jordan Clarke knocked down for Jeffers to net with the last kick of the game.

By Nick Mashiter