'Out of our hands' Mat Sadler gives his take on Walsall's Gillingham decision

Walsall will be without no fewer than five players due to international commitments: Tommy Simkin, David Okagbue, Liam Gordon, Darius Lipsiuc and Ethan Wheatley. 

But it was announced last week that Walsall had chosen not to send a request to the EFL, although Sadler has since shed more light on the situation. 

There are just two spare weeks to reschedule the game, with the EFL not permitting postponed fixtures to be played during the final week of the season. 

Gillingham face Chesterfield on Tuesday, April 8, which means Walsall would need to play four games over the course of nine days if they chose to postpone the fixture. 

Therefore, Sadler felt Walsall were left with little choice other than to let the game go ahead.

"We felt we didn't have a decision more than anything. It's a shame that Liam, Dave, Tommy, Ethan and Darius won't be there but we felt like the decision was taken out of our hands," boss Sadler said.

"It was a tough decision. We've got two free weeks, apparently the EFL don't let you go into the last week [of the season]. 

"Gillingham have a midweek game on one of the free weeks. So the only time to do it would've been for us to play away at Barrow on the Saturday, away at Gillingham on the Tuesday evening and then games on Friday and Monday over Easter. 

"Four games in nine days didn't make sense to do that either. We were kind of caught between a rock and a hard place with it so that's what we've gone with.

"There were no great outcomes to be honest. Connor [Barrett] would still be suspended and that would then mean he would be suspended for Doncaster."