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Wanderers boss Ian Evatt insists Kieran Lee is still an important member of his first-team squad for the season ahead.
The midfielder impressed against Burton Albion on Monday night on his first league start of the campaign, replacing Josh Sheehan who was on international duty with Wales.
The former Newport man is back available for this afternoon's clash with Ipswich Town, and Evatt admits he has a selection dilemma in midfield.
“I wouldn’t say Josh has taken his place,” said the Bolton boss. “Kieran has had an interrupted pre-season with injuries, knocks and niggles.
“We hadn’t managed to get him 100 per cent fit but he is there now and as you saw on Monday night, when he plays he is a top player at this level.
“We think a lot of him and he is going to be a big player for us come the end of the season. We are only six games in, it is only September, so 40 more to go.”
Ipswich have made 19 signings this summer and their spending has divided opinion in League One.
But Evatt insists Wanderers are only focusing on themselves as they look to build on last season’s promotion from League Two.
“Spending is irrelevant in the end,” he added. “It might mean you can sign a better quality of player, but you still have to get them into a team and get them functioning. Money isn’t necessarily the best thing, or the right thing.
“We concentrate on ourselves. We know what we want to be as a football club. If they want to recruit 19 players as we did last season then it will be about getting them functioning.
“We just don’t want to be the side that kick-starts their season. We want to give a good account of ourselves, as we did on Monday night.”
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