Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt has refused to rule out the possibility of strengthening his squad in January as he targets promotion from League One.
The Trotters are currently the most in-form team in the division, winning their last five league games to move them level on points with second-placed Oxford United in the final automatic promotion spot.
Ian Evatt’s side began the campaign as one of the pre-season favourites to win the division and that looked justified when they won their opening three games of the new campaign. However, a humbling 4-0 home defeat against Wigan Athletic in August brought them crashing down to Earth with a bang, and a spell of one win in four in September and October saw them lose pace with leaders Portsmouth.
That run culminated in a 3-1 reverse against lowly Carlisle United, but that remains their last defeat and they now sit just one point behind the pacesetters.
It’s now that time of the year where clubs begin to think about strengthening their squad during the winter transfer window, something which may be on the cards at the Toughsheet Community Stadium as they look to end their three year stay in the third tier. Speaking in yesterday’s press conference, via The Bolton News, Evatt addressed the situation;
“I think it is more likely to be ready, just in case.
“The ‘just in case’ can be a number of things – it can be injuries, we are likely to lose Carlos (Mendes Gomes) for four to six weeks for the African Cup of Nations, which is something we haven’t had to deal with before, new for us.
“We are going to potentially have to fend off some of the wolves for our assets.
“So, it is about being fluid and prepared. We are certain are that.
“The reason I’m late for this press conference is that I have been with Chris (Markham) for the last two hours looking at players and potential opportunities to improve.
“We are ready to move, if we need to move. At the moment we won’t be making any concrete plans but by January we must be prepared for all scenarios.”
Bolton return to action this afternoon against relegation-threatened Exeter City following the postponement of their clash with Cambridge United last weekend due to international call-ups.
Writer’s View
Bolton’s squad is one of the strongest in the division, especially in the attacking areas, and it is likely that only slight tweaks will need to be made.
Mendes Gomes has missed the majority of the campaign so far with a hamstring injury, although did return to the squad prior to the recent international break. It may be that they look to bring in one or two loan players to add depth to the squad, especially because further injuries cannot be ruled out. As Evatt said, being prepared is the smart thing to do at this stage.
