Walsall injury round-up: Double boost as Alex Pattison returns to training

Declan Skura - leg (100%)

Skura sat out the Saddlers’ goalless draw at Exeter City with a leg issue, which forced him off at half-time in their previous draw at Crewe Alexandra.

But Grant has revealed that Skura will be available for the visit of Rochdale at Bescot this weekend.

“Declan is fine. On the weekend [at Exeter], he will still feeling a little bit of a sensation in the area that he was forced to come off against Crewe,” Grant explained on Wednesday.

Rico Browne - calf (100%)

Browne was forced off at half-time with a calf issue during Walsall’s 3-2 home win over Accrington Stanley on August 29.

The right-back missed the next two games as a result, but was back on the grass in between the Crewe and Exeter draws.

That enabled him to build-up his fitness and Grant has now passed Browne fit for Rochdale.

He said: “Rico will be available this weekend.”

Roman Dixon - knock (50%)

Dixon has not featured since making his debut as a half-time substitute during the Saddlers’ 3-0 win in their League Two opener at Gillingham on August 15.

He has been kept out of the past five games with a knock and is still a major doubt - despite returning to training last week.

“Probably over the next 24 hours, we’ll know more about Roman, but my suspicion is that it will come too quickly for him,” Grant suggested.

Alex Pattison - hamstring (20%)

Pattison suffered a hamstring injury in a pre-season defeat at AFC Telford United on July 25 and was ruled out for two months.

But the midfielder is currently ahead of schedule, after Grant revealed that he had returned to full training this week.

Grant will take a patient approach towards his recovery, but his return to training comes as a major boost.

“Patto has trained with us all week. That’s been massive for the group and for him,” the Walsall head coach stated.

“We want him back fit and available. This week has been a huge step forward for Patto and we’re pleased about that.

“It’s important that we make the right calls because the temptation would be to chuck him back in for 90 minutes immediately.

“That’s not the smart thing to do. There’s probably still a degree of having to adhere to past injury history and managing his load.”

Harry Williams - Achilles (0%)

Williams has not featured since suffering an Achilles injury during the Saddlers’ League Two play-off final defeat against AFC Wimbledon in May 2025.

The defender was working to make his comeback before the end of last season, but suffered another setback in his recovery.

Grant understandably refrained from setting a timeframe after such a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

In his latest update on Williams’ rehab, Grant revealed: “Harry is hitting all of his markers and progressing really well.

“Most importantly for H, he’s in that sort of position where it’s just as much about what he’s doing mentally and psychologically, as it is about what he’s doing physically.

“It’s been such a long time, but what I’m seeing everyday is somebody who is coming in, fully committed to his work and doing everything that is being asked of him and more.

“He’s right where he needs to be and is getting all of the support he needs from the football club.”