Walsall manager Dean Smith has spoken to the press ahead of this weekend's Sky Bet League 1 trip to Chesterfield, and has insisted that top-scorer Tom Bradshaw was fully fit for last weekend's Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final defeat to Bristol City.
Speaking to the Walsall Advertiser, Smith said; "Tom was certainly fully fit to play, that wasn't a problem – he just looked like he hadn't trained for a week, which he hadn't.
"If Tom is fully fit – and he declared himself fully fit – then you are going to play him. He's scored 17 goals this season and there's no point putting your top scorer on the bench when we know what he can do. Plus there would always be the risk of him coming off the bench and getting injured.
"He had done enough in the training session the day before to show us he was fully fit. It just wasn't to be on the day for him. Tom wanted to carry on but, for me, the game just didn't go his way."
