Wanderers have no unexpected injury concerns ahead of their trip to Forest Green – but Ian Evatt admits he is weighing up changes after Tuesday night’s disappointment down the road at Cheltenham Town.
While the Bolton boss joked that “all is not lost” after a run of four straight league wins came to an ugly end at Whaddon Road, changes are being considered after a performance which left him struggling to get a good night’s rest.
“I’ve learned not to try and get to sleep after performances like that,” he said on Wednesday afternoon.
“It was really disappointing. We just didn’t go about the game in the right manner, in my opinion.
“We weren’t brave enough with the ball, didn’t expose their shape in the way we had spoken about pre-game, and we didn’t compete well enough.
“Having said all that, it was an awful performance but it should have been 0-0. We might have got away with it, we’d weathered the majority of the storm, but the goal came out of nothing in the last five minutes. We need to be better than that, there’s no denying it.
“But all is not lost! We have another away game on Saturday, a great chance to provide a reaction.”
With the treatment room clear and the only lasting damage from midweek “bruised egos” Evatt has a host of choices should he want to make changes at the New Lawn.
Wales international Josh Sheehan is pressing for a first league start since November and looking “back to his old self” on the training ground.
The playmaker damaged his cruciate ligament during an FA Cup game at Stockport last year but has come through two games in the Papa Johns Trophy and is now an option for Saturday.
Conor Bradley and Kieran Lee – rested completely at Cheltenham – will come back into contention, as might Declan John, another player who did not make the squad list on Tuesday night.
Aaron Morley, Elias Kachunga, Amadou Bakayoko, Kieran Sadlier and Dapo Afolayan were all used as substitutes at Cheltenham and would present fresh options for the Wanderers boss.
Afolayan was picked out by Evatt alongside keeper James Trafford as two of the players who did themselves justice.
"From the Cheltenham game I think you are only looking at Traff and then maybe Dapo, who came on and showed some attacking intent," he said. "Other than that, it just wasn't good enough."
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