Colchester United vs Walsall: Who's out and who's a doubt?

Jamille Matt - hamstring (95%) 

Matt has been sorely missed since he was forced off in the 33rd-minute during Walsall's 3-0 defeat at Bradford City just under a fortnight ago. 

He has sat out the 2-0 defeat at Fleetwood and the 2-2 comeback draw against Salford City but Mat Sadler has revealed the 35-year-old will be available for selection on the weekend.

The Walsall boss said:  "Whisper it quietly, but yes. We've got an endless amount of options up there now are we're going to need all of them." 

Donervon Daniels - calf (0%)

Club captain Daniels has been ruled out for "eight to 10 weeks" after suffering a calf injury earlier this month.

Daniels was forced off midway into the first half during Walsall's 4-2 defeat at Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy. 

The defender had a scan at the start of last week and results have confirmed that he is braced for another lengthy spell on the side lines.

Sadler said: "I believe Donervon will be out for eight to 10 weeks. So it's a little bit of a spell out. 

"Pretty much everyone returns between the end of March and the beginning of April for the players that are out at the minute. 

But Donervon is the same as that unfortunately. Not a great calf injury but I think we all knew that.

"Fortunately, he'll be back with us before the end of the season though." 

Jack Earing - ankle (0%) 

Earing has not featured since hobbling off with an ankle issue in the 89th-minute of Walsall's 2-0 win over Newport County at the end of the 2024. 

Sadler confirmed earlier this month that Earing had been forced to undergo surgery and earmarked a potential "10 to 12 week" time frame on his recovery. 

That means the midfielder will be missing until March at the very least although his absence could possibly creep into April. 

"Jack had surgery on his ankle. Hopefully we'll see him before the end of the season but he'll be out for a bit of time," Sadler revealed (on January 9). 

"Maybe around 10 to 12 weeks, something like that. Whenever that takes us to, either into April or just before but around that time." 

George Hall - hamstring (0%) 

Birmingham City loanee Hall is expected to be targeting a similar return date to Earing after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring problem.

Hall has not been involved since suffering the injury on the eve of Walsall's 1-0 win over Barrow on December 14. 

The 20-year-old was initially only expected to be missing for "six to eight weeks" as he returned to his parent club to continue his rehabilitation.

Upon returning to Birmingham, Hall visited a consultant and has since undergone an operation, which is likely to keep him out until April. 

"George will probably be a similar time frame to Jack," Sadler added.

"That's what we thought initially (that he'd be out for six to eight weeks) but he saw another consultant when was back at Birmingham and had a surgery on his hamstring which hopefully will provide the real answers he has needed. 

"He's another one that we're hopeful of getting back before the end of the season and nothing would please me more to see him back with us." 

Priestley Farquharson - thigh (0%)

Farquharson suffered a setback on his road to recovery from a thigh injury at the end of last year. 

The defender, who has been out since August, was initially targeting a return after the New Year. 

He had gone as far as participating in the warm-ups in training but was ruled out until March after going to consult a specialist.

Sadler issued an update at the start of last month, stating that he is still on course for his return date and that his injury is healing as expected.

He said: "Priestley is coming along in his recovery. We're probably looking at another couple of months still but the hope is that we see him before the end of the season and that's what we're all pushing towards. 

"That's exactly what he is fixed for. We had some good news that he has healed in the way that it needs to so he'll start to build-up over the weeks go on."