Nicholls glad to have Jones back

You could forgive Alex Nicholls for looking over his shoulder now Steve Jones is back – but the Walsall forward has welcomed his wing rival back.

Jones moved himself closer to a recall with a 20-minute cameo off the bench in last weekend's drubbing by Southampton.

It was perhaps the only positive that came out of an otherwise disastrous day for the Saddlers, with the Northern Ireland international having been their star man with eight goals in his last 11 appearances before being struck down with a groin injury.

The 33-year-old is desperate to return to first-team action – but a recall could see Nicholls, the man currently in his position, be left as the odd one out.

But the man with the shirt would rather have Jones available than not and reckons it's like a new signing for the Saddlers.

Nicholls said: "There's a few things the manager could do. It's out of my hands. I just have to do the best I can do in training and, when I get my chance in games, hopefully I will stay in the team.

"If it opens the door to play up front or if he keeps me on the right then I'll be more than happy. I've played up front all my life but I've been used wide right recently and last season. I'd rather be playing wide right than sitting on the bench.

"Jonah is a very good player. You only have to look at the goals per game he was scoring before he got injured. He was bringing loads to the team and I feel we have missed some of that.

"Coming towards the end of the season we've had a lot of games on a lot of heavy pitches. Obviously players are going to get a little bit fatigued and a little bit tired.

"He could be like a new signing for us by bringing a bit of freshness to the team and being able to gee us up a bit."

Nicholls revealed the Saddlers' rare midweek off has given them a chance to recharge their batteries and hopes they will reap the rewards against the Lions tomorrow.

He said: "When you're playing Saturday-Tuesday for consecutive weeks, as we have done when you're at this stage of the season, they normally give you a couple of days off to try to recover and that's what we've done this week.

"We've had Sunday and Monday off and then we came in and did a little bit on Tuesday and had Wednesday off, so we're well rested.

"If you look at the way we've been playing then maybe a few are a bit weary and tired. The coaching staff have seen that and taken it on board and given us a few days off. Obviously we're now looking to use it as a springboard going into tomorrow.

"There's a lot of players with a few niggling injuries. Having not played Saturday to Saturday it gives them a bit of time to recover in between."

Nicholls concedes the Saddlers face a tough test against a Millwall side who are being kept out of the play-offs only by goal difference.

He said: "When we played down at their place earlier in the season they were really good. Every Millwall team that I've played against has been very organised, but they have got a lot of quality as well.

"We're under no illusions. It's going to be a tough game. The pitch will be heavy, there will probably be a lot of long ball stuff. We've just got to go in, try to be positive and play our own game and hopefully get a result.

"Obviously you want to do the best you can and get to the play-offs, but if that's not possible you still want to do yourself justice.

"As soon as the play-offs are out of reach and you can't get relegated you do hear of some players that aren't really doing it right and are taking advantage of the situation – but not here.

"We will still play to do ourselves and the club justice."

His boss Chris Hutchings has nothing but respect for one of the division's most prolific predators, Neil Harris, who already has 12 in the league this season, and Steve Morison, who scored both of the goals in the Lions' 2-1 win over Walsall in December.

The manager said: "Neil is an evergreen striker, he just seems to keep going. Full respect to him, he has always done it at this level and a little bit higher as well. He seems to get one chance and take it.

"Morison causes problems as well. He was in a rich vein of form the last time we played them. With those two we know we will have to be on our toes and defend better than last week."

Likewise, Hutchings is a great admirer of Millwall counterpart Kenny Jackett.

The Walsall boss said: "He has done well. He'll probably be a little bit aggrieved that he didn't get them up last year but they will want to be in the play-offs again, that's for sure.

"Kenny will know that and I'm sure that he's under pressure to make sure they do it again. He has sold one or two players to other clubs for whatever reason but it's going to be a tough, tough game."