Josh Bowler will be included in the Blackpool team to face Bristol City on Saturday despite the winger’s days at Bloomfield Road appearing numbered with Nottingham Forest among the Premier League clubs interested.
Bowler is out of contract next summer and with Thursday’s transfer deadline approaching, Blackpool head coach Michael Appleton has to accept either selling one of his prized assets or risk losing him for nothing next summer.
Nottingham Forest reportedly had a £2.5million bid knocked back this month for the 23-year-old while Bournemouth - who are expected to be among the more busy top-flight clubs next week - are long-term admirers, along with Fulham and Championship rivals Watford.
Bowler has started all five of the Seasiders’ Championship games this season - scoring the winner against QPR - and Appleton is in no doubt his mind will be fixed on the Robins, despite the uncertainty around his future.
"I think from our point of view, it sounds crazy and daft but it's always difficult in these situations to look too far ahead. All I've said to Josh, and that's why I spoke about the conversations me and him have had, is football and we'll work a game at a time,” Appleton said, as reported by Lancs Live, with the head coach accepting the prospect of his star man signing a new contract is unlikely.
"We've got three games this week, clearly we want him to be involved in all three and hopefully that's the case but the reality is that before the window shuts there's definitely two games anyway. Listen if he's fit and available for all three games, then he's clearly going to be playing.
"I can't affect what happens on outside interest but what I can affect is that his mindset is in the right place.
"His attitude has been spot on. Even when he had a game that didn't particularly go quite well for him against Swansea, the last home game, the reaction that he showed at QPR was top drawer, it was excellent. Then obviously he played his part at Burnley at the weekend, it took him a little bit of time to get into the game but I think that was more us as a group, us as a team rather than him as an individual.
"But when he did he exploded onto the scene and he obviously created one or two fantastic opportunities for us."
Bowler scored in this fixture between the two sides last season as Blackpool claimed a convincing 3-1 win over the Robins.
Appleton’s resources are significantly depleted for the visit of Nigel Pearson’s in-form City with seven first-team players unavailable due to injury. Arsenal loanee Charlie Patino, full-back Luke Garbutt and winger Keshi Anderson are among those absent for Appleton.
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