Bromley vs Walsall preview: Saddlers star man shakes off illness
Walsall boss Mat Sadler says Jamille Matt will be fit to start against Bromley at Hayes Lane tonight after shaking off an illness which has affected the squad recently.
Illness has hit the camp in recent weeks, with Charlie Lakin missing the 2-0 win at Morecambe and Ellis Harrison sitting out the 1-1 draw at Carlisle United last week.
Vice-captain Jamille Matt was only well enough to start on the bench against Grimsby Town on Saturday, although he did come on at the start of the second half.
Sadler has confirmed that the 35-year-old frontman has trained as usual this week and is hopeful that the bug is finally out of the building.
"Touch wood, I don't want to jinx that, but there hasn't been any illnesses in the camp so far," boss Sadler said.
"Everyone is OK. There was a sickness and stomach bug going around which hopefully we've got to the end of.
"We've been hit by it though. There was Charlie [Lakin], there was Ellis [Harrison], there was Jamille. The physio had it as well and there were a few others that felt it but maybe didn't have it as bad.
"But fortunately, and hopefully, that is finally out of the way."
Walsall fell to a 3-1 home defeat against Grimsby last time out, losing back-to-back league games at Bescot for the first time in over three years.
Second-place Bradford City, who trail leaders Walsall by two points, squandered a golden opportunity to move into top spot after losing 1-0 at Gillingham last weekend.
That means Walsall have the chance to put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack before the weekend fixtures, something they need to do, especially with Notts County reducing the gap from the fourth spot to seven points.
And Ryan Stirk, who made 18 appearances during his loan spell at Bromley in 2023, feels the relentless nature of League Two means there is no opportunity to dwell on past results.
"I haven't looked past Bromley yet but every game is tough in this league," the Walsall midfielder said.
"We take it each game at a time. Because it's the last 10 games, people look into it more but we won't be.
"It's important to have that [positivity]. You'll be disappointed after a game on a Saturday or Tuesday night but then you've got to move on because this league is relentless.
"You can't sulk for three or four days. You have to get straight back on it because if don't then you might miss out on the opportunity to get the next points.
"The gaffer has created a positive culture here. It's good for everyone because you're coming into a place where you enjoy working and you can smile, but then you're serious as soon as match day hits."
Donervon Daniels (calf) and Priestley Farquharson (thigh) have returned to full training after long-term injuries but won't be available until at least the end of the month.
Elsewhere, George Hall (hamstring), Jack Earing (ankle) and Josh Gordon (hamstring) remain absent.
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