Hutchings calls for professional pride

Seventh-placed Tranmere visit the Banks's Stadium for a League One clash, as the Saddlers head into the final five games of the season.

A mid-table finish is now a racing certainty for Walsall, but Hutchings believes his charges don't need any more motivation than they've already got.

He said: "As a professional you never want the season to finish and peter out and the challenge for us is to see how far we've come.

"We've done OK in the 17 games I've been here but I feel we can go one step further and beat those teams above us. We're playing teams who could get into the play-offs and it's a

challenge."

Tranmere are one of those sides and Hutchings – whose Walsall sit 13th – feel they will be a good test as the Saddlers bid to keep the season alive.

He added: "The big test is how you play against the so-called better teams who are higher than you in the league and that's the next step. That's the next challenge for them.

"Every team we play until now and the end of the season is above us at this present time. That's a challenge in itself, as I've said before, to see how far we've come or how far we've got to go.

"We've done OK so far but we've always got to improve."

Hutchings watched Rovers, who could field former Saddler Edrissa Sonko, beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 at Prenton Park last Sunday and, with Tranmere just a place and a point adrift of the play-off's, the Saddlers boss knows they will be up for the game.

He said: "They've done really well. They've been on a good run of form, I saw them against Bristol Rovers and they had a good 2-0 win.

"Rovers beat us up and they did a good job on them. It's going to be tough, but that's why we're here. We want to see how far we can go.

"We've got to be aware of them but there's not a lot between the top and bottom, as Cheltenham proved when they came here the other week and performed very, very well.

"You've got to be aware of all of their (Tranmere's) players – their centre-backs have scored one or two goals from set-pieces.

"They're a big side and we've got to be aware of that but it's what we do – if we perform we know we can beat them.

"But all games are tough and there are no gimmes."

Michael Ricketts is pushing for a start while Paul Boertien, Mark Bradley, Manny Smith and Sofiene Zaaboub are all fit.

Goalkeeper Clayton Ince could miss out again after a family bereavement.