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Filipe Morais is finally on the comeback trail for Wanderers.
The popular winger has been unable to start his pre-season because of a troublesome knee injury.
Morais signed a new one-year deal in the summer but has had to watch in frustration as the injury refused to settle down.
Wanderers’ medical staff have now given him the green-light to step up his workload, raising hopes he could be available for the opening weeks of the Championship season.
“The injury has been bad but he’s a long way down the line towards a return now,” assistant boss Steve Parkin told The Bolton News. “The physios are finally okay with him. He’s done some speed work and I watched that myself. He is moving okay.
“Whether or not he’ll be fit for the start of the season I’m not sure, but he’s certainly in a lot better place than he was a fortnight ago. The last week or so he’s really come on.”
Morais’s presence has been missed in a Wanderers front-line which has not scored in its last three outings.
Goalless draws with non-league Stockport County and AFC Fylde sandwiched a disappointing defeat against League One Fleetwood Town.
Parkin admits the squad is still short of three or four players – but believes the next 11 days before the big kick-off against Leeds United will see an improvement on the training ground, which should spill out on to the pitch.
“I don’t really worry but if you’d asked me 10 years ago, I’d probably have said ‘yes I do,’ he said of the goal shortage.
“My experience tells me that in the last two weeks of pre-season we do sharpen them up.
“We’ll do a lot more finishing sessions than we have so far.
“Thus far it has been mostly base fitness and a little bit of shape, so I’m not overly worried. Sometimes you have pre-seasons where you have loads of games and you score for fun, then you think everything is going swimmingly and you get to the start of the season and you can’t bang one in.
“Let’s hope this is one where we save a few goals for the start.”
The game at Stockport saw an experimental side named with two trialists – Alex Bruce and Rob Atkinson – given 90 minutes.
A smattering of senior players did feature, including Darren Pratley, Ben Alnwick, Adam Armstrong, Mark Little, Derik Osede and Sammy Ameobi.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t score because certainly had chances,” Parkin said after the final whistle. “Sometimes that happens in pre-season and you’ve just got to keep doing the right things and believing your luck will change. I wouldn’t go overboard on it.
“The key thing for us was that Sammy and Army (Armstrong) have not had a lot of minutes, so if you’re looking for a positive to take from the whole thing, they got a good game under their belt.
“There’s no doubt they need more minutes before the start of the season.
“Derik got 70-odd minutes and he hasn’t had much time at all because of his Achilles.”
Alex Perry was also used as a defender for the first time in pre-season, alongside trialists Bruce and Atkinson.
The future of ex-Hull City and Ipswich Town defender Bruce is expected to be sorted by the weekend but Atkinson – whose twin bother Michael was also on the bench – also drew praise for stepping in at the last moment.
“Harry (Brockbank) was ill on the morning so the trialist Rob did okay considering he’s young and doesn’t really know anyone,” Parkin said. “He’s played a few games down south but he came up with his brother – a midfielder who was on the bench – and he stuck at his task.
“Pez (Perry) played sweeper and I thought he did really well. He’s tall, quite an elegant player and he’s decent on the ball so we thought we’d have a look at him.”
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The popular winger has been unable to start his pre-season because of a troublesome knee injury.
Morais signed a new one-year deal in the summer but has had to watch in frustration as the injury refused to settle down.
Wanderers’ medical staff have now given him the green-light to step up his workload, raising hopes he could be available for the opening weeks of the Championship season.
“The injury has been bad but he’s a long way down the line towards a return now,” assistant boss Steve Parkin told The Bolton News. “The physios are finally okay with him. He’s done some speed work and I watched that myself. He is moving okay.
“Whether or not he’ll be fit for the start of the season I’m not sure, but he’s certainly in a lot better place than he was a fortnight ago. The last week or so he’s really come on.”
Morais’s presence has been missed in a Wanderers front-line which has not scored in its last three outings.
Goalless draws with non-league Stockport County and AFC Fylde sandwiched a disappointing defeat against League One Fleetwood Town.
Parkin admits the squad is still short of three or four players – but believes the next 11 days before the big kick-off against Leeds United will see an improvement on the training ground, which should spill out on to the pitch.
“I don’t really worry but if you’d asked me 10 years ago, I’d probably have said ‘yes I do,’ he said of the goal shortage.
“My experience tells me that in the last two weeks of pre-season we do sharpen them up.
“We’ll do a lot more finishing sessions than we have so far.
“Thus far it has been mostly base fitness and a little bit of shape, so I’m not overly worried. Sometimes you have pre-seasons where you have loads of games and you score for fun, then you think everything is going swimmingly and you get to the start of the season and you can’t bang one in.
“Let’s hope this is one where we save a few goals for the start.”
The game at Stockport saw an experimental side named with two trialists – Alex Bruce and Rob Atkinson – given 90 minutes.
A smattering of senior players did feature, including Darren Pratley, Ben Alnwick, Adam Armstrong, Mark Little, Derik Osede and Sammy Ameobi.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t score because certainly had chances,” Parkin said after the final whistle. “Sometimes that happens in pre-season and you’ve just got to keep doing the right things and believing your luck will change. I wouldn’t go overboard on it.
“The key thing for us was that Sammy and Army (Armstrong) have not had a lot of minutes, so if you’re looking for a positive to take from the whole thing, they got a good game under their belt.
“There’s no doubt they need more minutes before the start of the season.
“Derik got 70-odd minutes and he hasn’t had much time at all because of his Achilles.”
Alex Perry was also used as a defender for the first time in pre-season, alongside trialists Bruce and Atkinson.
The future of ex-Hull City and Ipswich Town defender Bruce is expected to be sorted by the weekend but Atkinson – whose twin bother Michael was also on the bench – also drew praise for stepping in at the last moment.
“Harry (Brockbank) was ill on the morning so the trialist Rob did okay considering he’s young and doesn’t really know anyone,” Parkin said. “He’s played a few games down south but he came up with his brother – a midfielder who was on the bench – and he stuck at his task.
“Pez (Perry) played sweeper and I thought he did really well. He’s tall, quite an elegant player and he’s decent on the ball so we thought we’d have a look at him.”
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