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Neil Lennon hopes a restful weekend will have reinvigorated his Wanderers players ahead of tomorrow’s Lancashire derby at Blackburn Rovers.
The Whites boss gave his squad a much-needed break with no game on Saturday and now expects them to be chomping at the bit to bounce back to Championship action at Ewood Park.
Wanderers have not played since the 1-1 home draw with Reading seven days ago after a run of 14 matches in 60 days at the start of 2015 – just over a game every four days.
With a raft of injuries not aiding their cause, a lot of Lennon’s squad have played in many of those matches.
And he believes the break at the weekend was timely for his depleted squad.
The Whites boss told The Bolton News: “We gave the lads the weekend off and it might have done us a few favours really in terms of getting players back.
“A bit of rest and recovery won’t do them any harm.
“I am hoping they will be fresh and ready to go – I’m sure they will be.
“Mentally and physically it will have been good for them.
“I’m expecting them to be chomping at the bit.
“It has been a heavy six weeks or so, so the break will have done them good.
“A lot of them have played in the majority of games, carrying the can for those out injured.
“The rest was timely I think because a few of them looked a bit tired.
“I expect them to be really reinvigorated.”
While the Whites had their feet up at the weekend, Championship results elsewhere went for them.
They sit 17th and still 10 points above the relegation zone with a game in hand on the bottom five sides.
Victory in tomorrow’s derby against Gary Bowyer’s FA Cup quarter-finalists would extend that breathing space to 13 points going into the final 10 league games.
Lennon admits he has a target in mind for the final two months of the campaign but says that will remain private between the staff and players at the Macron Stadium.
He added: “Results went for us again at the weekend so it’s a great opportunity to consolidate where we are.
“I have targets of what I want between now and the end of the season but that stays between me and the players.”
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The Whites boss gave his squad a much-needed break with no game on Saturday and now expects them to be chomping at the bit to bounce back to Championship action at Ewood Park.
Wanderers have not played since the 1-1 home draw with Reading seven days ago after a run of 14 matches in 60 days at the start of 2015 – just over a game every four days.
With a raft of injuries not aiding their cause, a lot of Lennon’s squad have played in many of those matches.
And he believes the break at the weekend was timely for his depleted squad.
The Whites boss told The Bolton News: “We gave the lads the weekend off and it might have done us a few favours really in terms of getting players back.
“A bit of rest and recovery won’t do them any harm.
“I am hoping they will be fresh and ready to go – I’m sure they will be.
“Mentally and physically it will have been good for them.
“I’m expecting them to be chomping at the bit.
“It has been a heavy six weeks or so, so the break will have done them good.
“A lot of them have played in the majority of games, carrying the can for those out injured.
“The rest was timely I think because a few of them looked a bit tired.
“I expect them to be really reinvigorated.”
While the Whites had their feet up at the weekend, Championship results elsewhere went for them.
They sit 17th and still 10 points above the relegation zone with a game in hand on the bottom five sides.
Victory in tomorrow’s derby against Gary Bowyer’s FA Cup quarter-finalists would extend that breathing space to 13 points going into the final 10 league games.
Lennon admits he has a target in mind for the final two months of the campaign but says that will remain private between the staff and players at the Macron Stadium.
He added: “Results went for us again at the weekend so it’s a great opportunity to consolidate where we are.
“I have targets of what I want between now and the end of the season but that stays between me and the players.”
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