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Ian Evatt insists Wanderers will be full steam ahead for this weekend’s trip to Stockport County.
Despite his side exiting the FA Cup with a defeat against League Two Walsall, the Bolton boss remains confident that the league form which has improved dramatically of late will not be affected.
Evatt had challenged his players to pick up 10 points from a five-game block after the previous international window, which will be achieved with anything other than a defeat at Edgeley Park.
Ricardo Santos will come back into the starting line-up after being completely rested at Walsall, and Wanderers will hope the fact that John McAtee, Vic Adeboyejo and Aaron Collins also featured for only 20 minutes in the cup will also mean they will be fresh for the short trip round the M60.
Stockport, who face second-placed Wycombe tonight, also went to extra time in their first-round game against Forest Green at the weekend.
And while that may give Bolton a slight physical edge going into the game, Evatt says his players must also show the defeat at Walsall has not dented their confidence after such a positive run.
“I don’t think we will have any issue because I think the players understand where our focus lies,” he told The Bolton News.
“I am not saying in any way, shape or form, that was didn’t take the (Walsall) game seriously – I think that it was clearly evident we did – but we also know we need to be in top form on Saturday for what is a difficult arena and a difficult game. It is one of the reasons I felt I had to rest Rico (Santos) because we just couldn’t risk him breaking down before Stockport.
“We have shown of late that we can turn up. We’re on nine points for this block and I think 10 would have been a great return. With a positive result we can get that, or surpass it, and we go nowhere to draw. In my eyes that would rubber stamp a real recovery from where we were in the previous international break, and the start of the season.”
Wanderers now have a free weekend at the end of the month but with Rotherham also crashing out of the cup at the weekend, there is the potential for their game at the New York Stadium to be rearranged quickly.
There has been no confirmation from either club at present to suggest that the game will be played on November 30 – but Evatt admits that the scope for fewer cup fixtures in the New Year could be a bonus as his side continue their promotion chase.
With eight players currently out injured and not expected to be fit for selection until after the international break, the Bolton boss is also looking forward to handling the winter schedule with a wider set of options.
“We suffered last season with the amount of games we had to rearrange through cup runs, international breaks, etc, and now there isn’t that excuse,” he said.
“What we do need is people back in one piece and available for selection, once we get to that point we will be fine, I have no doubt about that.”
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