Injuries & Bans : a depleted Saddlers squad

By OneNil
December 30 2002

As the Saddlers go into the new year, they will be taking injuries and bans with them. Jorge Leitao, Danny Sonner, Gareth Ainsworth, Danny Hay, Ludo Pollet and Tony Barras will be unavailable for one reason or another.

Colin Lee will be facing severe selection problems in the next few weeks as injuries and suspensions look set to deflate his small squad. Gareth Ainsworth will presumably play his last match for the Saddlers against Forest as his three match suspension received after his sending off at Norwich begins on January 4th. Also facing suspensions are Jorge Leitao and Danny Sonner - both of whom have picked up five bookings this season. The Portuguese striker will miss our local derby with Wolves on January 11th.

Danny Hay limped out of the defeat at Ipswich with a groin strain and looks certain to miss the match on New Years Day. It is hoped that Hay will be fit for the FA Cup tie with Reading three days later as Ludo Pollet's loan spell ends after the Forest trip. Understandably, the Molineux outfit  don't want him to become cup-tied. Without Pollet and Hay, Lee is down to the bare bones in defence with only Ian Roper and Matt Carbon available. Tony Barras has returned to Bescot from his six week loan spell at Plymouth with a hamstring injury that may rule him out of any transfer activity when the window reopens on Wednesday. However, Argyle manager Paul Sturrock has been quoted as saying "Tony has done a great job. He has added his experience to us. I am not deterred by his injury. That wouldn't sway me from signing him."