Stuart Sinclair happy to be busy with Walsall

A Carabao Cup date with Sheffield Wednesday on the first weekend in September will be the curtain-raiser to a campaign which is starting a month late and will include at least 14 midweek matches to ensure a traditional May finish.

Saddlers boss Darrell Clarke carried out the largest overhaul in the EFL after arriving at the club last year but has kept the majority of his squad in place this time around.

Midfielder Sinclair, who is preparing to embark on his second season at the Banks’s, believes that could prove key.

He said: “The gaffer wants to build something. We know our shape, we know our roles and it is a question of whether we can keep progressing and pushing forward.

“That is a major point and should help us, especially with the games being so quick and it being hard to bring in coaching points and do that kind of thing.

“It is going to be recover, play, recover, play. As a footballer, that is what you want.”

The Saddlers were drawn at home against the Owls in yesterday’s cup first round draw, for what will be their first competitive fixture since a 3-1 home win over Exeter on March 7.

They then open their EFL Trophy campaign the following midweek before the League Two season gets underway on September 12.

Sinclair added: “If you are disappointed in your performance on a Saturday you know Tuesday is coming. It’s going to be fast and frenetic but it is going to be good.

“It will be good for the supporters as well, hopefully, to get back in and watch the games.

“As a player it is a good feeling to know you can move forward and rectify things so quickly.”