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Gethin Jones will miss a big chunk of Wanderers’ New Year fixtures after being called up by Australia for the Asian Cup.
As The Bolton News went to press last night, Bolton’s vice-captain was set to be drafted into Graham Arnold’s squad for the first time, rendering him unavailable for selection after the game at Fleetwood on December 29.
Perth-born Jones will travel to Qatar for the six-week tournament, with guaranteed group games against India, Uzbekistan and Syria. The final will be played on February 10.
Jack Iredale has not been selected – and Carlos Mendes Gomes is also expected to be confirmed in the Guinea Bissau squad for the African Cup of Nations, which will see him ruled out after the Boxing Day game at Lincoln City until their participation ends.
Wanderers were already considering bringing in cover for midfielder Mendes Gomes but Jones’sabsence gives Evatt a completely fresh problem at centre-back and wing-back.
Asked if the call-up could affect his plans for next month’s transfer window, he said: “Possibly. As I have talked about before we are always on the lookout and I feel like we have a good list of players to recruit from. But we will just have to monitor things when we get there.
“We have done a huge amount of work and I’m really confident in the information we have gathered but it will only be in January that we will have to make some decisions.”
Evatt said Jones goes to the tournament with his blessing but the Bolton boss is still frustrated that as a competition which is organised by the Asian Football Confederation, as opposed to FIFA or UEFA, there is no process of compensation for clubs.
“For me, I have no qualms at all with Geth wanting to play for Australia and going away to play in a competition,” he said. “I think it shows where he is in his career and I am really pleased for him.
“My argument comes with the lack of compensation for us. We have to pay wages, there are injury risks, and there are six weeks while the player is away that the clubs are losing out.
“I don’t think that sits right or feels fair. But I have no problems with any player who wants to represent their country and I hope Gethin goes and represents our club well, as I am sure he will do.
“I expect Australia will go pretty far in the competition, so it will be early February before he is back in our group. Obviously we wish him and Australia success.”
Evatt will be hoping to chalk up his 100th victory as Wanderers boss this weekend as his side welcome Leyton Orient to the Toughsheet Stadium.
Disappointed that his side had let their standards slip in patches against Oxford, Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers, he is now looking to his players to produce a response.
“The way I see the game, it is all based around us,” he said. “That is no disrespect to the opposition because everyone has a plan, everyone wants to win. But I have faith in my team that when we put it together and perform we are a hard team to stop, and that has been proven.
“We just have to focus on ourselves and try to get better.”
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