Saddlers rocked by Darren Byfield injury
Wednesday 22nd September 2010, 11:28AM BST.
Walsall were today rocked after skipper Darren Byfield was ruled out for two weeks with a knee injury.
The striker limped off in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Swindon to heap more misery on the beleaguered Saddlers.
Byfield has scored just once in six games this term and is set to miss Saturday’s game at Hartlepool, Tuesday’s clash at Leyton Orient and the visit of Yeovil on October 2.
“Darren will be out for around two weeks,” said boss Chris Hutchings.
“The scan revealed bruising to his knee. It’s a bit of a blow but we do have attacking options.”
Byfield has already been sidelined with an Achilles problem this season as the Saddlers struggle in League One. They have lost five of their seven games and have tumbled to 18th in the table.
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Latest Blog — A week is a long time in football
This time last week we were staring down the barrel, third from bottom with a worse record than at the same stage last year, writes Saddlers blogger Mark Jones.
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That’s the problem with players in their early-to-mid-thirties such as Byfield and Jones – they spend most of their time injured. What you really want are players in their mid-to-late twenties, players with some experience but whose bodies are not too wrecked by 15 years of professional football…but generally these players cost more. What we have got are: young players just starting out who lack experience and will either go on to better things or end up in non-league; and players in their thirties who have come to Walsall at the end of their careers and are generally past it….like Byfield. We haven’t got many players in their prime, that’s probably why we are struggling so much.
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Too old – too injury prone – too late to do anything about it. Sad days for Walsall FC which is in terminal decline
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I feel for byfield i do like but come on walsall fans who cares we are going nowhere anyway
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Byfield – one in six.
Macken and Nicholls far more prolific in comparison, so what ‘s the problem with them starting?
The problem for me at the moment is the lazy Julian Gray…..great when he can be bothered….standing o the touch line most of the time (watch the next game if you don’t believe me!)He needs a rocket up his arse from CH & MOC. Can’t believe CH keeps starting with him when we have these new loanees wanting to prove themselves.
Come on Chris sort it out…….Gain possession, keep possession, distribution, first touch, move ahead of the play, be ready to run into space, pass into space, runs from deep and shooting practice……non of this is evident on a Saturday….so I assume that none of it is evident on the training pitch?
CH has lost sight of what he is trying to achieve and needs to focus!
Oh sorry I am being daft CH would never read this, but I have typed it now….so i will post it for all to read.
UTS! Come on let’s wipe the smile off Jeff Sterling’s face!!!!
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Said it when he signed, if you are going to have byfield you would be better off with ricketts.
same attitude only ricketts ten times better player
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