Form
Bolton Wanderers finished last season in third place in League One, five points behind Derby County who secured the second automatic promotion spot. Bolton missed out on promotion via the playoffs, losing 0-2 to Oxford United in the final. having beaten Barnsley in the semi-finals, 5-4 over two legs. This season marks their fourth straight campaign in the third tier, having won promotion from League Two in 2021, after finishing third.
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They have had a tough start to the current season and currently sit in 21st place, having won one, drawn one and lost three of their five games so far.
They come into this game on the back of a 0-4 home defeat to recently relegated Huddersfield Town. Reading beat Bolton 2-1 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium last September before The Trotters claimed revenge with a 5-2 home win over the Easter weekend.
The boss
Ian Evatt: Evatt was appointed Bolton manager in July 2020, taking over from Keith Hill, who left the club following their relegation to League Two.
The former centre-back had a 19-year playing career, representing the likes of Derby County, Chesterfield, QPR and Blackpool. After ending his career at Chesterfield, he took on his first full-time managerial role at National League side Barrow.
He guided the club back to the Football League after winning the National League title in the 2019/20 season that was cut short due to Covid-19. Evatt left the club that summer after Bolton agreed a deal to bring him to the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Evatt guided the club back to League One in his first season in charge, securing automatic promotion after a third-place finish in League Two. He has since guided Wanderers to ninth-, fifth- and third-placed finishes in the third tier, missing out on promotion via the playoffs the last two seasons.
Evatt likes his sides to play an attacking, direct style of football.
Squad
Bolton saw eight players join the club this summer. Former Reading goalkeeper Luke Southwood joined on a free following the expiration of his contract at Cheltenham Town, while defender Chris Forino and midfielder Scott Arfield also signed as free agents.
Wanderers also signed a number of players on undisclosed fees including wing-back Szabolcs Schon, who joined from Hungarian side Fehervar; Crawley forward Klaidi Lolos; defender Jordi Osei-Tutu and Luton forward John McAtee. Sunderland midfielder Jay Matete also joined the club on a season-long loan.
Only four players left the club, including left-back Jack Iredale who signed for Hibernian. Former Reading striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson was released at the end of his contract, alongside veteran striker Cameron Jerome and defender Declan John.
Attacker Carlos Mendes Gomes is expected to continue to miss out through injury, alongside new signings Osei-Tutu and Lolos. Winger Randall Williams could return to the first-team squad following his injury.
Predicted lineup
Baxter, Toal, Ricardo, Forino, Schon, Matete, Thomason, Dacres-Cogley, Collins, Arfield, Charles
Key player
Eoin Toal: Defender Toal joined Bolton in July 2022, signing from Northern Irish side Derry City. He started his career in Northern Ireland, coming through the ranks at Armagh City, before making his professional debut at the age of 16.
He joined Derry in 2017 and made 155 appearances for the club, while also becoming their captain. He spent five years at Derry before making the move to England with Bolton in 2017, joining for an undisclosed fee.
Toal has gone on to make 87 appearances for Wanderers, scoring eight goals. The 25-year-old has represented Northern Ireland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level and has now won six caps for the senior side.
Toal is a centre-back who is a good passer of the ball and has good versatility.
One to watch
George Thomason: Midfielder Thomason joined Bolton in January 2020, signing from non-league Longridge Town. He started his youth career at Blackpool but was released at the age of 16. He signed for Lonridge Town in 2018, before then joining Bolton in 2020.
Not long after joining, Thomason joined Bamber Bridge on loan, spending two separate spells with the club. He made his debut for The Trotters in November 2020 and won promotion in his first full season with the club, while also winning their young player of the year award.
The 23-year-old has gone on to make 131 appearances for Bolton, scoring nine goals and logging 13 assists. Thomason is a box-to-box midfielder, with good vision for a key pass.
