After a fairly miserable end to the 2024/25 season, Walsall have started this campaign in distinctly average form. But an unfortunate injury has allowed them to make a change to their squad that may help them gather some momentum.
Stuttle Heads Back To Bournemouth, Exciting Replacement Signed
Young striker Jonny Stuttle, who was just starting his first spell in the English Football League following an impressive stint with Farnborough, has returned to his parent club, AFC Bournemouth, after picking up an injury which will leave him on the sidelines for a “lengthy spell”.
He had featured in all five of the Saddlers’ games, but failed to score a goal during his short stint at the club.
Goalscoring and chance creation have been a big problem for Walsall as a whole, as the Staffordshire-based team have created the third-lowest expected goals of any team in the fourth tier.
Stuttle’s injury led to Mat Sadler signing a replacement up front in the form of Charlton Athletic’s Daniel Kanu, who arrives at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium on a season-long loan, the club announced on their official website.
Despite being just 20 years of age, Kanu has been around for a relatively long time.
He made his debut for the Addicks in the 2021/22 season, before going on to play 14 games in all competitions the following campaign, scoring his first goal in men’s football in the process.
The Lambeth-born man really caught the eye when out on loan at Southend United in 2023. He scored a very impressive four goals in just six National League games and was recalled by the Addicks so that he could be used in their first team squad.
In total, Kanu made 30 league appearances for Charlton in the 2023/24 season, scoring six goals in the third tier.
Last season, the striker found game time harder to come by, and he scored just once in 17 league outings. However, he did manage to get a promotion on his CV after Nathan Jones’ men beat Leyton Orient in the League One playoff final.
Where Will Kanu Fit In At Walsall?
Sadler has employed a two-striker formation thus far, meaning there should be plenty of opportunities for the Sierra Leone international to get minutes.
Stuttle had started every league game alongside Aaron Pressley before his injury, but it will be interesting to see if the Walsall manager decides to play a more experienced frontman like Jamille Matt or Albert Adomah due to the Saddlers’ goalscoring struggles.
Kanu should be able to learn a lot from the aforementioned duo, and especially Matt, who has been a striker for his entire career and has scored prolifically in the fourth tier before.
If the 20-year-old is given a consistent run in Walsall’s team, he could make himself one of the most dangerous frontmen in League Two.
