Colchester United vs Walsall preview - Saddlers emerge from January "stronger" says Mat Sadler

The recall of top marksman Nathan Lowe, who scored 18 goals in all competitions on loan from Stoke City, served as a major blow earlier in the month. 

But Walsall, who sit seven points clear at the summit, successfully fended off interest in the likes of Harry Williams and Jamie Jellis to retain their key players for the League Two run-in. 

Sadler also revealed that Walsall turned down a number of bids and has thanked the board for supporting him in helping keep everybody on board. 

He said: "The nature of the window is that we attracted attention from different clubs for our players. 

"We 100 per cent want that because it means we're doing something right and they're doing well. But the club has supported us to keep hold of those guys, we wanted to stay as strong as we possibly could. 

"We did. We had bids for players, we had conversations with clubs and the feedback was that there was no point in bidding because we won't accept.

"Somethings were out of our control during the window but what we could control, we did, and that's why we wanted to come out stronger. We feel we've done that." 

Walsall added midfield pair Alfie Chang and Darius Lipsiuc on loan from Birmingham City and Stoke City respectively on transfer deadline day, before securing the loan signing of MK Dons striker Ellis Harrison at the final hour. 

Sadler is pleased with the depth across his squad and feels the variety of attack will prove crucial between now and the end of the season, with key man Jamille Matt set return from a hamstring injury on the weekend.

"We've added as much depth as we possibly could. The nature of Nathan leaving, he's a fantastic young player and if we get half the success with your loan lads throughout the campaign then you've done very well," he continued.

"I'd probably suggest that we'd be the envy of every club in our league and the league above. I can only think of Louie Barry (at Stockport County) that had the same sort of success on a loan like Nathan had.

"Now, we move on, we go on to the next challenge and we adapt. We've got some fantastic options up there, with the addition of Levi, Ellis and Ethan. Josh is on his way back, Danny scored a couple of goals the other day. 

"Jamille is back into the reckoning now. Alongside Albert, we've got an endless amount of options up there. 

"As we saw last Saturday, Danny comes on and does what Danny does. It was a particularly Danny-esque game in that we were flashing balls across the box. 

"Every game is different but to have the options that we've got is a big, big coup for us." 

Elsewhere, Priestley Farquharson (thigh), Donervon Daniels (calf), Jack Earing (ankle) and George Hall (hamstring) remain unavailable.