Saddlers contemplate Cuvelier loss
Walsall will be without Florent Cuvelier for Friday night's televised visit of Portsmouth.
The on-loan midfielder has only recently returned from a troublesome hamstring complaint, but suffered a recurrence of the same injury on New Year's Day as the Saddlers beat Stevenage 1-0.
Cuvelier has now returned to parent club Stoke for treatment and will be sidelined for the short-term at least, with the injury expected to keep him out beyond his scheduled loan stay, which runs until mid-January.
Andy Taylor will miss out against Pompey with the groin strain which also forced him off against Boro, although the problem is not serious.
Fellow defender Dean Holden continues to be sidelined with his ankle problem, again a minor complaint, but forward Febian Brandy does return having served his one-match suspension.
Portsmouth could welcome back up to four players for the trip.
On-loan striker Paul Benson returns after he was unavailable to face parent club Swindon on New Year's Day.
Midfielder Brian Howard also missed the 5-0 defeat at the County Ground with a groin injury along with defenders Ricardo Rocha and Gabor Gyepes, who had hamstring problems, so all three will be assessed.
Johnny Ertl skippered the side against the Robins in the absence of Howard.
New signing David Connolly could make his full debut in attack after starting on the bench on Tuesday.
Pompey are without a win in their last 12 npower League One games and have slipped into the relegation zone, two points from safety.
Source: PA
