Walsall's Stan Straw Injury Update: Lee Grant's Pre-Season Assessment
Walsall head coach Lee Grant has revealed that defender Stan Straw still has 'work to do' on his road to recovery from a groin injury sustained towards the end of last season.
What happened?
Grant explained that Straw has not yet made a full recovery, but is 'moving in the right direction' and hopes to be back in training 'very soon'. The 17-year-old made five senior appearances for Walsall in the EFL Trophy last term, registering his first two starts in the knockout stages against Stevenage and Northampton Town respectively.
Why it matters for Walsall
The majority of the academy players, which had featured in the opening two friendlies against Leamington and Aston Villa, travelled to Kilmarnock on the weekend for a friendly with the under-18s. However, teenage duo Archie Bunn and Will Etheridge remained with the first team for their 1-0 pre-season defeat at AFC Telford United on Saturday.
What comes next?
Grant has stated that he will continue to utilise his young players when required, as the team still lacks a complete squad. 'They've worked hard of course,' Grant added. 'We're still in a position where we haven't got a complete squad. We're going to need our young players to make sure they pick up the slack when it comes to that.'
League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 13th in League Two, 65 pts, 18W-11D-17L from 46 games, recent form LLWLL. Goals this season: 56 scored, 56 conceded (0 goal difference). Title race: 22 points behind leaders Bromley. Last result: Bromley 3-1 Walsall (2026-05-02). Recent form (last 5): 1W-0D-4L (LLLLW, most recent first); lost the last 4.
