Mat Sadler hopeful Walsall are 'protected' over possibility of Daniel Kanu recall

Walsall have seemingly struck gold again on the loan market, with Charlton Athletic frontman Daniel Kanu scoring three goals in as many games for Walsall. 

And with Kanu already featuring for Charlton this season, which prevents him from signing for any other club on loan, Sadler feels this could safeguard Walsall from history repeating itself.

'We're protected as best as we can' - Sadler on Daniel Kanu

"Turn the phone off," he joked when asked if Kanu could be recalled in January.

"It's a really difficult one because this is so often how they look. For us, Daniel has already played Charlton [this season] so he wouldn't be able to go anywhere else. 

"It would only be him going back and play in their first team, which I don't think they'd be eager to do straightaway if he wasn't going to play week in, week out, for their first team. 

"We're protected as best as we can in terms of the fact that he has played for Charlton, but the rest of it is way in the future."

Walsall have been stung twice in the past two seasons, after Nathan Lowe was recalled by Stoke City in January, and Freddie Draper returned to Lincoln City last year.

The expiry of Danny Johnson's loan from Mansfield Town, and the club's subsequent attempts to re-sign him, also had a catastrophic impact under Michael Flynn in 2023. 

'It's nature of the beast unfortunately'

"It's still very early days on the whole loan. I think we all get ahead of ourselves because we've had the situations that have arisen before," he added.

"Of course, we'd want to secure ourselves from that happening again, but it's the nature of the beast unfortunately. 

"With regards to wanting good players like Daniel is, like Nathan Lowe and Freddie Draper were. 

"The task at hand now is to keep him playing well, keep showing different sides to him in his first full season of playing. 

"That will be really beneficial for him, which is what everyone at Charlton wants too."