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Wanderers fans will have to be patient a little longer before Stephen Ireland is given his long-awaited debut.
Phil Parkinson confirmed the 32-year-old midfielder has re-joined full training after a calf problem but that he will not be plunged into Championship action for at least another week.
Ireland has not started a game since January, when he turned out for Stoke City against Manchester United in the Premier League, and has battled back from serious injury to earn a contract with the Whites.
Parkinson – who this week admitted he had been forced into rushing the likes of Jonathan Grounds and Lloyd Dyer into first team action before they were ready – is adamant he will not make the same mistake again.
“He hasn’t played for a very long time,” he told The Bolton News. “We brought him in and he had a decent week but then strained his calf.
“We have to make sure he’s right. There’s no point playing him at half-pace.
“Stephen wouldn’t want that either because he wouldn’t be able to affect the game and he’d also run a greater risk of getting injured.
“Stephen needs a period now of really hard training. We’ve been dipping him in and out, doing running with him, and he’ll probably have the same next week.”
Ireland is one of three players whose contract expires in January, placing an element of urgency on his situation.
The former Manchester City and Aston Villa man will not be in the travelling party heading to Millwall this afternoon – but Parkinson insists he will get his chance once his fitness has stabilised.
“As much as his contract is only until January and he’s eager to get out there, everyone wants to see him, it has to be at the right time,” he said.
“He’s coming into a division which is not a stroll in the park. It is a very quick division.
“We have had to put a couple of players in earlier than we would have liked, and it has been to their detriment. I have to make sure we don’t take that risk with Stephen.”
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Phil Parkinson confirmed the 32-year-old midfielder has re-joined full training after a calf problem but that he will not be plunged into Championship action for at least another week.
Ireland has not started a game since January, when he turned out for Stoke City against Manchester United in the Premier League, and has battled back from serious injury to earn a contract with the Whites.
Parkinson – who this week admitted he had been forced into rushing the likes of Jonathan Grounds and Lloyd Dyer into first team action before they were ready – is adamant he will not make the same mistake again.
“He hasn’t played for a very long time,” he told The Bolton News. “We brought him in and he had a decent week but then strained his calf.
“We have to make sure he’s right. There’s no point playing him at half-pace.
“Stephen wouldn’t want that either because he wouldn’t be able to affect the game and he’d also run a greater risk of getting injured.
“Stephen needs a period now of really hard training. We’ve been dipping him in and out, doing running with him, and he’ll probably have the same next week.”
Ireland is one of three players whose contract expires in January, placing an element of urgency on his situation.
The former Manchester City and Aston Villa man will not be in the travelling party heading to Millwall this afternoon – but Parkinson insists he will get his chance once his fitness has stabilised.
“As much as his contract is only until January and he’s eager to get out there, everyone wants to see him, it has to be at the right time,” he said.
“He’s coming into a division which is not a stroll in the park. It is a very quick division.
“We have had to put a couple of players in earlier than we would have liked, and it has been to their detriment. I have to make sure we don’t take that risk with Stephen.”
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