Bolton Wanderers boss must wait on Premier League loans

It has already been a frustrating summer for Ian Evatt, who despite adding four new players to his squad, has had to remain patient to see if bids for key signings have been successful.

The Bolton boss has confirmed that at least one of the players he is currently chasing is involved in European competition in the coming days, and that his parent club are unwilling to progress the deal until they have completed the fixture.

Wanderers are also considering top-flight loans, having enjoyed huge success in previous years with the likes of Paris Maghoma, James Trafford, Conor Bradley and Marlon Fossey.

Evatt is looking to repeat the trick again but concedes that this summer’s European Championships have shifted the timescale at which players become available.

The League One season begins for the Whites at Leyton Orient on August 10 but Bolton are already facing up to the possibility their squad will not be completed by that point.

“We have looked around but the Euros haven’t helped us,” Evatt told The Bolton News. “What you’ll find is that the big clubs have big tours around the world to go away and play games in, and players who have been away at the Euros have a holiday and take some time off, so the clubs take the best younger players away with them, filling the teams and squads for the pre-season games. There’s a knock-on effect there.

“The better loans won’t become available until the Premier League is back in action in the middle of August.”

Evatt takes his side to Chorley tonight still without several first team players through injury.

B Team youngsters such as Max Conway, Luke Matheson, Nelson Khumbeni, Sam Inwood and Noah Halford have been drafted in to make sure Wanderers’ senior players are not overloaded, and the plan is to once again give the starting line-up 60 minutes before bringing in replacements from the bench.

Jack Iredale, Gethin Jones, Luke Southwood and Dion Charles may play some part in Friday night’s friendly against Fiorentina at the Toughsheet in what will be their first match action of the pre-season, and will then be chasing full fitness in the fortnight before the big kick-off at Brisbane Road.

Evatt admits it is not an ideal situation, given he has also been trying to blend some different tactical information into his team over the last few weeks.

“We are trying a few different things and the injuries haven’t really helped,” he said. “It makes it a little bit tougher for the whole group because the lads who have missed out in pre-season have also missed out on a lot of the tactical work and the details that go with playing that way, along with the fitness stuff and the minutes of game time.

“Some of them are going to be playing catch up but we have to get them there quickly and that’s my job as a manager and a coach is to educate them and get them ready to do what we need them to do.”