Comment: Why Fleetwood postponement has come at an ideal time for Walsall
Walsall have been afforded a rare weekend off due to the freezing temperatures that have hit the nation.
An early pitch inspection was called on Saturday morning and the decision was taken to postpone the Saddlers' home fixture against Fleetwood Town the following day.
It was a call that was probably met with a secret sigh of relief within the Walsall camp, after an exhausting and turbulent festive period.
The calm between two storms
Mat Sadler hit out at the congested EFL fixture schedule this week and the Walsall boss is not alone in his complaints.
Colchester United head coach Danny Cowley also voiced his frustrations at the schedule, which he described as "crazy" and "dangerous".
Had the clash against Fleetwood went ahead then it would've been the Saddlers' fifth game in the space of just 16 days.
They played a total of seven matches across all competitions in December and are braced for another busy January.
So the 10-day break between the New Year's Day defeat at Cambridge United and an FA Cup date at Norwich City on Sunday will be very much welcomed by Sadler and Co.
The trip to Carrow Road will kick-start a crazy week on the road, which will see Walsall travel roughly 640 miles over the course of just six days.
A chance for Walsall to reset
Sadler has rotated heavily in recent weeks and will attempting to strike that difficult balance once again over the coming games.
The relentless nature of the football season is just one reason that the break is needed because momentum is not currently in the Saddlers' favour either.
They topped the table at Christmas and maintained their lead heading into the final game of 2025 thanks to a 1-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra at Bescot on Boxing Day.
That extended their unbeaten run to six games in League Two, but back-to-back defeats against Oldham Athletic and Cambridge United respectively either side of the New Year has seen them drop to third.
A window to get bodies back
Sadler made no fewer than four changes for the latest setback at Cambridge and lost Jamille Matt to a knee problem in the first half.
The issue is not expected to be serious, but the extra recovery time will enhance his chances of returning at full strength.
Priestley Farquharson also missed the New Year's Day defeat after requiring stitches above his eye following a clash of heads.
He should be in the reckoning for Norwich City, while Harrison Burke and Mason Hancock are also close to a return after spells on the side lines.
Hancock has not featured since he was stretchered off during a 1-0 home defeat against Grimsby Town on August 19.
The left wing-back, signed from Airdrieonians in the summer, underwent surgery on a dislocated knee, but has been back in training during the past few weeks.
Burke has also re-joined the group and Sadler has even earmarked potential minutes for Hancock when Walsall travel to Northampton Town in the EFL Trophy next week.
In that update, Sadler revealed that Burke is not too far behind, which means Walsall are set to welcome back two potentially key players back into the fold ahead of the second half of the season.
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