Walsall scouring free agent market

The Saddlers have several players currently on the treatment table, including Elijah Adebayo, Cameron Pring and Shay Facey.

No timescales have been given for their return, but Clarke’s squad took another blow on Saturday when striker Caolan Lavery was forced off with a pulled hamstring after 20 minutes against Scunthorpe.

Both Pring and Adebayo posted on Instagram that they would be back soon, while Kory Roberts, who broke his leg in a pre-season friendly last year, was seen going through training before Saturday’s game as he looks to return.

Clarke’s squad has been thinned by injuries and the 41-year-old is looking to bolster the team with new additions.

“We have a reserve game Tuesday so we’ve got to get the rest and recover, we don’t cry about it but I have six or seven injuries,” he said.

“We want to try and get as many bodies as possible back in the frame because we haven’t got the squad size or the know-how amongst a group of players, so we need players back fit.

“Lavs (Caolan Lavery) pulled his hamstring, third game in a week, we have Elijah (Adebayo) who is out injured, Shay Facey’s out injured.

“We have five or six injuries in a squad, we need to get a few bodies back soon.

“We need upgrades as well as we go along.

“I’m certainly not ruling myself out of the market, the free transfer market, because we need that bit more quality and pushing other players as well.”

“We have some young players here, inexperienced players, so we’ll keep looking at that avenue.

“But they’re good lads to work with we just have to be better.

“That’s where we are at the minute, I get that, let’s work on all the areas while making sure that we’re still nice and tight at the back.”