Walsall players fighting fit for boss

Walsall manager Dean Smith is hoping his League One dress rehearsal gives the Saddlers a glimpse of an upbeat season ahead.

The club wrap-up their pre-season programme with another clash against League Two opposition at Port Vale tomorrow, following Tuesday's 3-2 defeat at Cheltenham.

It will bring to an end a hectic four-games in 10 days schedule which the Walsall boss hopes will top-up his players' fitness levels, ready for the big kick-off against Leyton Orient a week later.

Smith said: "We have been working really hard on the training ground and the two games last week took it out of the lads a bit.

"But we know where the lads are in terms of their fitness. They have been tested on the heart rate monitors and we are where we expected to be.

"The fitness is there now. We were a bit 'leggy' against Cheltenham but I think we can start laying off the players a bit in terms of the fitness work and move on to the tactical side of it."

Smith also hopes to do yet moretransfer business, with the Saddlers boss hoping to stage behind-closed-doors action next week that will give him the chance to trial a couple of players.