Paul Marshall says Walsall are missing Troy Deeney

Troy Deeney has made two substitute appearances for Watford

Walsall midfielder Paul Marshall has pinpointed the loss of striker Troy Deeney to Watford as a reason for the club's poor start to the campaign.

The Saddlers, who lost their opening League One game and are also out of the Carling Cup, sold last season's top scorer for £500,000 on 6 August.

"We lost Troy on the day before the start of the season and that was a big blow," Marshall told BBC WM.

"We don't have a target man, the team's struggled and that's the main reason."

Deeney scored 14 times for Walsall last season, but handed in a transfer request after the Saddlers rejected a series of bids for the 22-year-old striker.

Marshall was named as an unused substitute in the 2-1 defeat to MK Dons in Walsall's first League One fixture, but did come on for the final 25 minutes of their Carling Cup exit at the hands of Tranmere on Tuesday.

"It's frustrating for me to be coming in and then sitting on the bench," added the former Manchester City trainee. "The team's not really been doing that well so hopefully on Saturday [against Brentford] I may get the chance to start."

Manager Chris Hutchings has been promised some of the funds from the sale of Deeney to spend on new players, but that search has so far proved fruitless.

"It's always ongoing," Hutchings told BBC WM. "We've spoken to a couple of players and we're waiting on their responses."