Walsall backed to cope without Price

Walsall boss Dean Smith has backed the Saddlers to cope without loan star Jason Price at Carlisle.

The manager has thrown down the gauntlet to his stand-in-strikers with Price sidelined and unable to play against his parent club tomorrow.

The Saddlers, joint-bottom of League One, are bidding to stretch their unbeaten run to four games and stay in touch with their relegation rivals.

Will Grigg or Jamie Paterson are in line to replace Price and Smith insisted they can fill the void.

He said: "We'll be missing Jason who won't be allowed to play against his parent club, but I believe in the squad I've got.

"They filled in well on Tuesday when they came on and proved they can do it. Will Grigg and Jamie Paterson came on and did well against Mike Edwards especially and Krystian Pearce, who came through the ranks at Birmingham.

"It's going to be a tough game but I've got belief in the players and they are starting to believe now. We're going to Carlisle with confidence.

"We've got to keep the run going. I've said before games at the Banks's Stadium will sort out destiny but we've got to keep picking up points away from home.

"Four points was the return from the two home games so we're looking for something away now.

"We've got Carlisle which will be a tough place to go but we're going there to get the three points."

The Cumbrians go to Huddersfield in the second leg of their Johnstone's Paint Trophy area final on Tuesday and Smith is hoping they will have one eye on the game.

He said: "They beat Huddersfield 4-0 in the first leg and are a few days from playing a game which could take them to Wembley, hopefully they'll be looking at that rather than us.

"You always hope, I'm sure they'll be professional enough not to, but there are always side issues.

"They'll want to bounce back from losing on Tuesday at Huddersfield too, but they are a mid-table team and one we can believe we can go and beat."