How do Bolton Wanderers handle potential double injury blow?

Wanderers fought through Storm Kathleeen to take three points from a belligerent Bristol Rovers and keep their automatic promotion push on course but not without sustaining some battle damage.

In what has become a wearisome cycle since the turn of the year, Evatt’s side will now approach yet another big game without knowing whether two of their most important components will be available.

Santos, the lynchpin of his manager’s defence for four seasons, has struggled to completely rid himself of a calf problem picked up at Blackpool in January. Aggravated by the heavy pitch at the Memorial Stadium, there are now serious question marks over his involvement against Portsmouth.

Likewise, Sheehan, who has been virtually un-droppable in the last few months in his role as the midfield ‘quarterback,’ and a player who has been picked out by many as Bolton’s most consistent of the campaign to date.

The Welshman has suffered a slight issue with his hamstring in recent weeks, which has been sufficiently serious to see him removed before the end of each of his last three games.

As ever, Wanderers have no willingness to show their cards this early in the week. Both Santos and Sheehan will be given a few days before the final gameplan is settled upon, and every chance to appear in what is surely the most important 90 minutes since last May’s play-off semi-final second leg at Barnsley.

Should either player not feature, however, Bolton may find some solace in statistics – which point to a surprisingly positive trend.

The pair have only both been absent from a starting line-up at the same time once – a 2-1 home win against Wycombe Wanderers in February which also represented the last run-out for top-scorer Dion Charles.

Santos has played 40 games in all competitions and missed 14; on those occasions, Bolton have won eight, drawn two, and lost twice – against Championship side Middlesbrough in the League Cup and Carlisle United at home in League One.

Sheehan has played 49 times in all competitions and missed seven games entirely. Wanderers have won five of those outings, their only defeat at home to Bristol Rovers in December.

In both cases, however, the problem is not so much the lack of a replacement option but rather one that is both match-ready, and able to maintain the same integral role in the team without the need for a major tactical rehaul.

Wanderers had to do without Santos for most of February. They failed to keep a clean sheet in five games during that run, albeit the defence was also coming to terms with a change in goalkeeper at the same time.

Caleb Taylor had been loaned in from West Brom for just such an emergency. His natural height, athleticism and comfort in possession making him a decent option at the time.

Unfortunately for the 21-year-old, he sustained a nasty ankle ligament injury just as he had gained some consistency in the team. His season looked like it might be over, and his return to training in the last couple of weeks has been an unexpected bonus, but the brief cameo he got at Bristol as a replacement for Jack Iredale represents his only football since late February.

Wanderers also rely heavily on Santos’s ability to defend one-on-one, which allows them to push extra centre-halves forward and use their wing-backs in a more attacking fashion. Were the club captain to miss out against Pompey there would be inevitable tactical concessions.

Caleb Taylor's return may have been timed perfectly for Wanderers (Image: Camerasport)

Eoin Toal celebrates with Aaron Morley after his goal against Wycombe earlier this season (Image: Camerasport)

Sheehan’s absence potentially presents less of a tactical problem. Aaron Morley possesses the right skillset to play as the deeper lying midfielder and arguably has the best passing range of anyone in Evatt’s squad.

Yet the former Rochdale playmaker has started just four games in 2024, due in the main to Sheehan’s excellent form, and has not been able to build up enough game time to function at his best.

A late penalty at Bristol should be a confidence booster and were Bolton to need someone to score a set-piece in the dying moments of any important game, few would be better equipped, but Morley has not yet given a cast-iron argument that he can be a regular starter for Evatt, especially in a side gunning for automatic promotion.

George Thomason has also played the deeper midfield role this season – and were he instructed to again there could be scope for Kyle Dempsey to return.

Whether Evatt has to make that call depends on the success of this week’s prayers and finger-crossing around the Toughsheet. Previous examples this season do not bode well.