Express & Star

Florent Cuvelier and Tyler Roberts are back for Walsall

Walsall have received a double injury boost with creative duo Florent Cuvelier and Tyler Roberts both in contention to face Oxford tomorrow.

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The Saddlers welcome Pep Clotet’s team to the Banks’s Stadium having failed to win in their last five League One outings.

During that spell, Jon Whitney’s side has only managed to score four times with Roberts missing all five matches with a hamstring problem and Cuvelier picking up a knee injury at Northampton before then being ruled out for the next four.

But the pair are now in line to return to the squad for tomorrow’s clash having both taken part in training yesterday.

“Flo is back in and has trained all week,” Whitney said.

“Tyler has done all his work with the medical team.

“His first training session with me was yesterday so we will see how is after that.

“He has been out for nearly four-and-a-half weeks. But we’ll see how he looks. He is definitely not ruled out for the weekend.

“ As it stands now, we have got everybody available.

“Every player is fit and available for selection which is a really good position to be in.”

Walsall put in one of their best performances of the season when they secured a 2-1 win at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium in September.

Tyler Roberts

That day, the home were unable to handle the way the Saddlers pressed their defence.

But Whitney says the U’s have adjusted their style since that loss.

“I think they have changed their style a little,” he continued.

“They don’t take as many risks at the back.

“They play in open play but they try and play in the right areas now.

“They have got some good players. I’ve watched their last three games. They aren’t as open as they were but they are still a threat.

“They have brought a few players in and they have strength right throughout the squad.

“They have won their last two in the league and then overcame Charlton in the Checkatrade Trophy.

“They had that drubbing against Wigan, but they have responded with three really good results.

“As a manager, that is all you can ask from your players.”

With his side having struggled for goals, Whitney says it’s up to the entire team – not just the strikers to start chipping in.

“We haven’t created enough in the last three games.” the boss added. “We are working on how we can create more chances right throughout the team.

“We can’t just rely on the strikers to score goals. We need to be more pro-active from set-pieces as well.

“We haven’t really looked a threat from them over the past few weeks.”