Bolton Wanderers seek second opinion on Gethin Jones injury ahead of Gillingham

The club has said they will seek a second opinion from doctors to see if any time could be chipped off his recovery – but the full-back will almost certainly be out for the rest of this year.

Jones has been a mainstay for Wanderers over the first few months of the season but Ian Evatt confirmed news from the specialist had been tough to hear.

“It isn’t great to be honest, he saw a specialist yesterday and the diagnosis was worse than we wanted to hear or expected,” he said. “We are going to get further scans, bone density scans, to find out the true extent but if we are going off the prognosis that was given to us yesterday we won’t see him again until January.”

Jones last featured for Wanderers at Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight ago, and Evatt confirmed his injury had not been a result of a collision.

“It’s an injury more commonly seen in marathon runners – which you could argue our full-backs need to be,” he said.

“It is just an over-use injury which has turned into a stress fracture, which is quite nasty, and take time to heal, especially the load that needs to go through that bone with the running mechanics.

“We are hopeful that we can get a second prognosis and it will be better.”

Jones’ absence has offered an opportunity to Harry Brockbank on the right side of defence in the last couple of games but should Jones be ruled out long-term, Evatt says he could consider changing his system.

“There isn’t anything we really can do – we have got what we have got. We have to adapt and overcome,” he said.

“If that means changing shape and formations, we will. We are limited to squad sizes and options so we will figure out the right solutions to win football matches.”

Wanderers do have better news on the other side of their defence with Declan John back in full training after a groin injury.

“He’s very good,” said Evatt. “We’ll monitor how he recovers from today’s session tomorrow and we’ll make a call on Saturday.”