Joe Davis is confident he can be fit for Saturday's FA Cup tie

Joe Davis says he hopes to be fit for Saturday’s FA Cup tie away to Forest Green Rovers after picking up a dead-leg in the defeat to Northampton Town.

With John McCombe suspended following his sending off in the same game and the injury to Gareth Owen, Vale boss Micky Adams will be keeping his fingers crossed that both Davis and Clayton McDonald will be fit for the game.

“I have got to step up to the plate now and I know it is all down to me” said Joe. “I am really looking forward to the challenge.

“It is going to be tough at their place. They are doing quite well in the league so it won’t be an easy game, but we will be going into the game with confidence and we’ll try to get through to the next round if we can.

“It is competition which gives the lower league clubs the chance to do well and to show what they can do and I think that goes for us as well.

“If we can go as far as we possibly can it will certainly help the club financially, so we will be looking to try and put a good run together.”

Joe has long term ambitions, but for now his aim is to claim a regular spot in the first team and then take it from there.

He says: “I will just take it from one game to the next. If I do well on Saturday, then hopefully I can keep my place on Tuesday. I just want to stay in the side for as long as I can, that’s my main target at the minute.

“I would have liked to have been involved more at the start of the season, but I am getting back into it now. I have got to keep performing as well as I possibly can and that’s all I can do in the short term.

“I spoke to the manager in the summer and he made it clear to me that I have got a good chance to play and there’s not many other youngsters that get that opportunity.

“I want to establish myself and play week in, week out for a couple of seasons and see how I do. It would be nice to see how I do over a longer period of time, rather than just every now and again.”