COLIN Todd has called on his senior players to draw on every ounce of experience to guide Wanderers through their mental minefield.

The Bolton boss, confident that his players have the ability, believes they only have to clear the psychological barrier to get their promotion push back on track.

And he wants the older hands to lead the way.

"We need leaders out there tomorrow," Todd said ahead of the Reebok clash with struggling QPR.

"Most of the players have been in this sort of situation before - Scott Sellars, Neil Cox, Mike Whitlow, Jimmy Phillips and Paul Warhurst. Dean Holdsworth's been involved in scraps and Bob Taylor has too.

"They are players you have to turn to in situations like this."

This particular 'situation' is one that brings Wanderers back in front of their own supporters, knowing they have jeopardised their automatic promotion chances by taking just three points from their last five games and slipped from second to fifth place in the table by virtue of conceding three goals in each of their last four games.

Victory is paramount against Gerry Francis' Rangers if they are to get a revival going that would realise their ambition of bouncing straight back into the Premiership, without the need to endure the dreaded play-offs.

The manager has drawn encouragement from the battling qualities that have seen his side fight back to claim points from their last two games, which both ended in 3-3 draws, having trailed 3-1 at Swindon and 3-2 against Barnsley at the Reebok on Tuesday night.

But he admits: "There's some consolation in that but the most important factor is that they were games we should have won."

Having conceded 12 goals in four games after letting in just five in their previous 14, Wanderers are desperately in need of a more solid defensive show.

With Robbie Elliott suspended, having been dropped to substitute on Paul Warhurst's return on Tuesday, the manager can only look to Andy Todd or Jimmy Phillips as back four alternatives while goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen is likely to be left to play his way through the most trying time of his Bolton career, although Birkir Kristinsson is back from international duty with Iceland and could come into the reckoning.

But Todd has always had faith in Jaaskelainen since tipping him to challenge Keith Branagan long before the Bolton No 1 started with his injury problems.

"Jussi's going through a bit of an indifferent spell," the manager said of the Finland international, "but he has a good pedigree and he is a tremendous keeper.

"He shouldn't be feeling sorry for himself."

Pressed on whether he will give "supersub" Eidur Gudjohnsen a place in the starting line-up after his point-saving equalisers against Swindon and Barnsley, Todd said with a smirk: "There's every likelihood he will be on the substitutes' bench again!"

Whether he was telling the truth or throwing up a smokescreen will only be known when the teams are announced at 2.30 tomorrow.

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