Bolton Wanderers duo Kyle Dempsey and Dapo Afolayan are doubts for tomorrow's clash against Portsmouth while Declan John and Kieran Lee are poised to miss out.
Wanderers host Pompey at the University of Bolton Stadium tomorrow evening in League One as both sides seek to keep their faint hopes of the play-offs alive.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Bolton boss Ian Evatt said that midfielder Dempsey and attacker Afolayan are doubts for the clash due to knocks.
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Defender John, who missed the weekend's draw against Wigan Athletic, is poised to be out still with a back problem, while influential midfielder Lee is poised to also be missing too as Wanderers do not want to rush him back to action after having surgery on a heel spur problem which was causing him discomfort.
Evatt said: “Kyle Dempsey had a bit of a knock, Dapo Afolayan has a bit of a knock, but other than that I think we’re okay. We’ll have to look at those two for tomorrow, but other than that we’re alright.
“He (John) still has that back injury so that’s as far as it goes. I would think he’ll be missing.
“I think Kieran is probably going to be another week or so as well. We don’t really want to rush him and his heel around where the incision was made is still quite sore when he puts his boot on, so it’s going to take a little bit longer.
“We’ve had it rescanned this week and there’s nothing sinister going on. It’s healing really well, it’s just a time thing, so we just have to be a little bit more patient with him and give him a bit more time.
“I think that’s kind of where we’re at now just to make sure we’re rehabbing these players, they’re given the time they need to come back 100 per cent. There’s no real need to be taking chances with anybody.”
It could mean that Lee misses out on tomorrow evening's game, as well as former club Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.
Midfielder Josh Sheehan meanwhile has returned to running on grass, four months after going under the knife for an operation on a ruptured ACL.
The midfielder has not been in action since November and is poised to be back training in earnest in time for pre-season ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
