Express & Star

Dean Keates: It's all hands on deck for Walsall

Dean Keates has warned it will be all hands on deck as Walsall prepare for a potentially pivotal festive programme.

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The boss hopes to have almost a full squad available for a period which could go some way to determining the extent of Saddlers’ aspirations for the remainder of the League One season.

George Dobson and Zeil Ismail remained out for today’s trip to Bradford but both could return to training in the next week.

The game at Valley Parade was the first of five in 18 days for Keates’s men and the boss said: “We’ve always said a week can make a massive difference in this league.

“We are entering a point now when just four days can make a difference over the Christmas period.

“All being well we can be as competitive as we can be and pick up as many points as we can.

“We have one or two little niggles but hopefully they will settle down. Going into the next few weeks we will hopefully have a clean bill of health. Everyone is going to get the opportunity to play their part.”

Keates has taken encouragement from a week which saw his team end a six-game winless run by recording back-to-back victories over Coventry and Sunderland, the latter in the FA Cup.

The win over Coventry was achieved thanks to a dramatic late turnaround and Keates said: “They are the kind of results you look at over the course of the season.

“We were in a bad place but the players showed character and have turned it round. It’s building blocks. Bradford is another test.”

Club captain Adam Chambers remains the Saddlers only long-term absentee.

The 37-year-old is now not expected back until the New Year as he continues recovery from a broken foot sustained on the opening day of the season.

“He is not far off from coming outside but he is nowhere near the group at the moment,” said the boss.

“He is still massively into his rehab. It will be into the New Year (when he is back).”