CHUNG-YONG Lee will not be pitched into the heat of the relegation battle.

Owen Coyle has confirmed the South Korea international is unlikely to feature in must-win games against West Brom or Stoke City.

The 23-year-old has been out since last summer after suffering a double fracture of his right leg, but recently made a successful return to first-team training.

Despite his progress, Coyle is reluctant to gamble with his fitness, even though he would love to be able to call on the winger’s services.

“We can only put Chungy in if he’s fit to play,” the Bolton boss said. “We’d absolutely love to have him in, just as we would Stuart Holden, and everyone else, because if we had those players available we’d be half way up the league.

“We have to do what’s right by him, not make a knee-jerk reaction that could be detrimental to his long-term welfare. We have been through all this with Fabrice Muamba and we know what’s important.”