Managerless Bolton Wanderers face a tough test as promotion-tipped Ipswich Town head to the UniBol.
With all of the attention on Phil Parkinson’s departure from Bolton Wanderers, you could be forgiven for forgetting the fact that Wanderers’ young team have another game on their hands this weekend in the form of Paul Lambert’s Ipswich Town.
The fixture is arguably Bolton’s toughest of the season so far as managerless Wanderers will have to face another team who dropped out of the Championship and will be regarded as promotion favourites.
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Last time out
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Bolton go into this fixture without a win all season. Ipswich, meanwhile, sit comfortably in fifth after winning two of their opening four games and drawing the other two.
What makes matters worse for Wanderers is the fact that Bolton have not beaten Ipswich once, home or away, since relegation from the Premier League in 2012.
In 12 meetings, Ipswich have won on seven occasions and the sides have drawn five times.
Last season Bolton earned a point away from home after a 0-0 draw but lost at home 2-1 in the final weeks of the season.
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Team news
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That recent run of form against the Suffolk club is unlikely to change this weekend given the perilous situation managerless Wanderers finds itself in.
Bolton’s young side and handful of senior players will be up against it when Ipswich come calling even with their midweek respite following the last-minute postponement of Tuesday’s Doncaster fixture.
Wanderers will still be without striker Connor Hall and loanee defender Josh Earl who are due out for some time yet and lingering doubts still remain over the fitness of Liam Edwards, Dennis Politic and Ben Alnwick heading into this weekend’s game after all spending time on the sidelines.
Chances are, Bolton will name a fairly unchanged team to the one trounced 5-0 at Tranmere last weekend as the options available are limited to say the least. But, with Jimmy Phillips now taking the first-team reins perhaps we’ll see somewhat of a shakeup, who knows?
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How to watch
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Tickets for the game went on sale on August 16 and plenty of seats remain unfilled according to Wanderers’ website.
Prices for the game remain £20 for adults and £10 for concessions (under 18, under 23 and over 65) and only the lower tiers will be open for the match.
Supporters are being urged to use the print-at-home option in order to avoid long queues of fans collecting tickets on matchday and we understand that there will be no matchday ticket sales just like in Bolton’s opening home match against Coventry.
For fans outside of the UK, Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town will be available to stream on the club’s iFollow site.