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Wanderers will be without nine first-team stars for tonight’s home Championship clash with Fulham with boss Neil Lennon admitting he has never experienced an injury crisis like it during his time in management.
Liam Trotter and Matt Mills are the latest to head for the treatment room, joining Marc Tierney, Mark Davies, Max Clayton, Darren Pratley, Emile Heskey, Craig Davies and Adam Bogdan on the sidelines.
And it may be even worse for Lennon with David Wheater also a doubt tonight after limping out of Saturday’s defeat at Derby with a dead leg.
With 12 players also currently out on loan, it means the Whites boss is without more than 20 squad members as he looks to get some consistency back to his team’s results.
Lennon told The Bolton News: “I have not known an injury list like it in my career in terms of management - not just the volume of injuries but to the senior players we have.
“If in a Utopian world we had all these guys fit, I would be very confident of making the top six.
"The trauma injuries like those to Bogdan, Clayton and Mark Davies... there is nothing you can do about them. But the soft tissue injuries are sometimes avoidable.
“Sometimes they are not. We have to be careful and make sure when these guys do come back, they stay free from that injury again.
“Trotter picked up a groin strain on Saturday and Wheater had a dead leg in his thigh.
“We will have to see how he has reacted but I don’t think Trotter will be fit for tonight.
“It doesn’t look like Matt Mills will make it either.
“He may be another week or so.
“We are waiting in scan results on his knee coming back so I would imagine I will know more later this week on that one.
“In the case of Emile and Craig Davies we are probably looking at Forest, I think Watford on Saturday might be too early for them.
“It’s been a bit of a drag for those two with injuries taking longer than first anticipated.
“That makes it about nine out at the minute.”
Lennon reiterated the fact the injury situation is not an excuse he wants to use.
But he does believe the fact so many of those sidelined are senior professionals is a factor in his side’s recent dip in form in the league.
“People want to know why we are losing games, well we are losing games because there is no continuity of choice.
“We have got some serious senior payers out injured at the minute.
“I don’t want to make excuses but that is a valid reason I think.
“We are maybe not as strong as we have been in previous weeks.
“It’s been a difficult period with the two Liverpool games as well taking a lot out of the players mentally and physically.
“It is very difficult with the senior players out.
“You could see we were a little bit lightweight in the second half on Saturday.
“There was plenty of effort and enthusiasm but just a little lack of nous which is understandable in the circumstances.
“But we can’t wait for the boys to get back and be fit, we have to carry on with the squad of players we’ve got and make them better and make them hit the ground running as quickly as we can.”
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Liam Trotter and Matt Mills are the latest to head for the treatment room, joining Marc Tierney, Mark Davies, Max Clayton, Darren Pratley, Emile Heskey, Craig Davies and Adam Bogdan on the sidelines.
And it may be even worse for Lennon with David Wheater also a doubt tonight after limping out of Saturday’s defeat at Derby with a dead leg.
With 12 players also currently out on loan, it means the Whites boss is without more than 20 squad members as he looks to get some consistency back to his team’s results.
Lennon told The Bolton News: “I have not known an injury list like it in my career in terms of management - not just the volume of injuries but to the senior players we have.
“If in a Utopian world we had all these guys fit, I would be very confident of making the top six.
"The trauma injuries like those to Bogdan, Clayton and Mark Davies... there is nothing you can do about them. But the soft tissue injuries are sometimes avoidable.
“Sometimes they are not. We have to be careful and make sure when these guys do come back, they stay free from that injury again.
“Trotter picked up a groin strain on Saturday and Wheater had a dead leg in his thigh.
“We will have to see how he has reacted but I don’t think Trotter will be fit for tonight.
“It doesn’t look like Matt Mills will make it either.
“He may be another week or so.
“We are waiting in scan results on his knee coming back so I would imagine I will know more later this week on that one.
“In the case of Emile and Craig Davies we are probably looking at Forest, I think Watford on Saturday might be too early for them.
“It’s been a bit of a drag for those two with injuries taking longer than first anticipated.
“That makes it about nine out at the minute.”
Lennon reiterated the fact the injury situation is not an excuse he wants to use.
But he does believe the fact so many of those sidelined are senior professionals is a factor in his side’s recent dip in form in the league.
“People want to know why we are losing games, well we are losing games because there is no continuity of choice.
“We have got some serious senior payers out injured at the minute.
“I don’t want to make excuses but that is a valid reason I think.
“We are maybe not as strong as we have been in previous weeks.
“It’s been a difficult period with the two Liverpool games as well taking a lot out of the players mentally and physically.
“It is very difficult with the senior players out.
“You could see we were a little bit lightweight in the second half on Saturday.
“There was plenty of effort and enthusiasm but just a little lack of nous which is understandable in the circumstances.
“But we can’t wait for the boys to get back and be fit, we have to carry on with the squad of players we’ve got and make them better and make them hit the ground running as quickly as we can.”
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