WANDERERS’ hopes of getting a full-strength side out against Salford City have been dashed after a trio of key players reported issues in this morning’s training session.

Antoni Sarcevic, Eoin Doyle and Gethin Jones have were all hoped to be fit for the televised clash but Ian Evatt admitted at his pre-match press conference the likelihood was that all three will miss out on the match.

“Sarcevic, as I mentioned last week, has been really struggling with a back injury and he isn’t great at the moment, probably 50-50 for the game,” he said.

“Eoin Doyle and Gethin Jones have had slight setbacks, so I don’t think they will be ready either.

“But it is what it is. We have to get on with it.

“We have to work hard and pick a team which is capable of beating Salford on Friday.”

Jones has been out with an ankle injury since the 2-1 win at Harrogate five weeks ago but had returned to full training this week in the hope he could slot in on the right side of defence.

“We stepped him up this week and he is not quite ready for it,” Evatt said. “We’ll manage him, continue to try and progress him as best we can, and then maybe next Saturday will be the right time?”

Evatt had said after Saturday’s FA Cup exit that he had not yet had a chance to play his best side at Bolton, despite a quarter of the season now gone.

Asked if that made criticism of his first few months in charge fair, he said: “It’s football and I’ll get on with it,” he said. “I’ll dust myself and carry on.

“I think it’s the same for a lot of clubs throughout the division when you see how many injuries that are happening, top to bottom. It is crazy.

“It is entirely down to what has been thrown at us in football. But, let’s face it, life in general is a lot worse than it is in football, so we can’t feel sorry for ourselves at all.”