Preview: Bolton Wanderers vs. Barnsley - prediction, team news, lineups

Bolton Wanderers are acceptable to big Barnsley astatine Toughsheet Community Stadium connected Boxing Day successful what could beryllium a important lucifer successful the contention for promotion from League One.

Neither broadside are successful the champion signifier astatine the moment, but the visitors person mislaid 4 of their past 5 games and the hosts whitethorn spot this arsenic the cleanable accidental to instrumentality points from their rivals.

Match preview

© Imago

Ian Evatt's Bolton are presently eighth aft their 19 matches truthful acold successful League One, and are level with sixth-placed Lincoln City - who are successful the playoff spots - connected 31 points.

Last clip out, the Trotters kept their archetypal cleanable expanse since October erstwhile they drew 0-0 with Wycombe Wanderers and became the archetypal broadside to halt them from uncovering the backmost of the nett successful 25 league matches.

However, possibly the biggest communicative astir the crippled was astir the aboriginal of midfielder Aaron Morley, who has been featuring for the Chairboys connected indebtedness from Evatt's side.

The Trotters brag confirmed this week that Morley volition beryllium recalled from his indebtedness and returning to Bolton successful the wintertime unless Wycombe marque a 'really important offer' that meets the club's valuation for a imperishable transfer.

Ahead of Thursday's clash with Barnsley, Bolton are successful mixed form, having won two, drawn 2 and mislaid 1 of their past 5 matches, and fixed fans' precocious expectations, the manager has been nether unit with the squad 13 points down the automatic promotion places successful their 4th consecutive League One season.

However, Evatt received the nationalist backing of nine chairwoman Sharon Brittan earlier this month, and considering the Trotters are good wrong striking region of the playoffs, a triumph connected Boxing Day could assistance to easiness fans' concerns.

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Meanwhile, Darrell Clarke's Barnsley are ninth successful the array with 30 points from their 21 games and are conscionable 1 spot and 1 constituent down their hosts, though they person played 2 matches more.

Most recently, the Tykes were connected the receiving extremity of a 4-0 thrashing astatine location by Leyton Orient, who thoroughly dominated the crippled and scored 2 successful some halves.

That effect came arsenic portion of a mediocre tally of signifier that has seen Barnsley suffer 4 of their past 5 matches, and stretching backmost to aboriginal November, Clarke's broadside person won conscionable 1 of their past 8 successful each competitions.

However, it is notable that Barnsley's signifier has a wide location and distant divide, and portion lone bottom-two Shrewsbury Town and Burton Albion person fared worse connected their ain turf this season, Wycombe are the lone League One broadside that person picked up much points connected the roadworthy this than the Tykes.

As portion of the follow-up to their disastrous showing connected Saturday, the manager brought the players successful for a gathering to wide the aerial with the purpose of getting their play backmost connected track.

This Thursday, Barnsley person a accidental to acceptable things close with a travel to Bolton, and Clarke volition beryllium hopeless to get a affirmative effect to enactment wrong touching region of the playoff spots going into the New Year period.

Bolton Wanderers League One form:

Bolton Wanderers signifier (all competitions):

Barnsley League One form:

Barnsley signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Bolton brag Evatt has said that centre-back Eoin Toal could instrumentality to the squad for this lucifer aft recovering from a hamstring wounded that has kept him retired for the past 9 games.

Meanwhile, defenders Ricardo Santos and George Johnston are disposable aft serving their suspensions past clip out, though Jay Matete volition miss retired aft picking up his 5th yellowish paper of the play against Wycombe.

Elsewhere, Jordi Osei-Tutu has flooded a insignificant genu contented and volition beryllium backmost successful contention for Thursday's game.

As for Barnsley, manager Clarke has revealed that helium is 'very hopeful' that midfielders Luca Connell, who missed the crippled with Orient owed to illness, and Adam Phillips, who underwent exigency dental enactment past week, volition beryllium acceptable for the travel to Bolton.

It has besides been reported that the Tykes are connected the lookout for reinforcements up beforehand and astatine near wing-back this January, though for present they are apt to enactment up with Stephen Humphrys and Davis Keillor-Dunn arsenic strikers, portion Georgie Gent should commencement connected the left.

Additionally, Conor Hourihane, who primitively joined the nine arsenic a player-coach successful the summer, has announced his status and has been named Barnsley's adjunct head-coach connected a imperishable basis.

Bolton Wanderers imaginable starting lineup:
Baxter; Johnston, Santos, Jones; Osei-Tutu, McAtee, Lolos, Thomason, Schon; Collins, Adeboyejo

We say: Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Barnsley

Given that Barnsley person been truthful beardown distant from location this season, Clarke's broadside are apt to people astatine slightest erstwhile connected Thursday.

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