As the Saddlers are heading for a mid-table finish to the 2016/17 campaign, Walsall manager Jon Whitney has spoken to the local press and has discussed whether he plans to give more of the club's youth prospects an opportunity in the first-team squad over the final few weeks of the season.
Whitney, who will be taking charge of his 64th Saddlers game this coming weekend, insisted that he is keen to give players such as Mitchell Candlin and Tobias Hayles-Docherty an opportunity, but is also aware that changing the team can affect the momentum of a settled side.
Speaking via the Express & Star, Jon said; "You’ll play in my team if you deserve to. I see things off the pitch, I see them every day in training, how they are and their work ethic. People will get their rewards. If they deserve to come on, then I will give them a chance in my squad.
"But I have to also understand that even being on the bench and coming and doing the preps might be enough for now. I have to gradually build them up and ask for the fans to trust me and ask for the board and directors to trust me as well.
"I will play players when they deserve to play and I can’t promise anything over the last three games because you can’t really change that team. If you were playing, would you want to be left out of that team? I would say, probably no. There might be opportunities but we can’t say right now."