Tom Bradshaw faces fitness race for Notts County

Walsall top scorer Tom Bradshaw is facing a battle to be back for Friday's crunch clash with Notts County.

The 16-goal striker was absent from Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Chesterfield after again going down with a hamstring injury.

Bradshaw will be assessed through the course of the week but manager Dean Smith admitted he is unsure at this point whether the 22-year-old will recover in time for a game of huge significance for the sliding Saddlers.

"I honesty don't know at the moment," said Smith. "We will just have to wait for this week and see how he is.

"He pulled up in training on Thursday. There was no problem on Tuesday but he pulled up on Thursday, feeling his hamstring again.

"I suppose it was always a risk playing him at Wembley but two days after he trains and gets through it OK.

"Unfortunately on Thursday he felt it again and he didn't make Saturday.

"It is one which is going to have to be continually assessed because he has had too many niggles of this kind. It is frustrating for him and us.

"I don't think (there is any more we can do) he is doing all his injury prevention work and all his strengthening.

"He has obviously had a weakness in that area and (physio) Jon Whitney has been working hard to get him through that weakness."

This is the sixth spell Bradshaw has spent on the sidelines with hamstring troubles and his latest absence comes at a crucial time, with the Saddlers now just three points above the relegation zone.

Smith's men have won just one of their last nine league games and netted just three times in the last eight matches in all competitions.

The manager felt they were worthy of at least a draw at Chesterfield and insists they will keep battling.

"Sometimes it happens like this," he said. "All you can do is rub yourselves down and stick together. I will certainly take the performance.

"The result is disappointing but we deserved better and (Chesterfield boss) Paul Cook said so as well.

"It is always a battle, every game. I have said that from the start of the season. Saturday was no different.

"There were only five points between the teams before the game and you could see how tight it was."