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Wanderers’ options for this weekend’s FA Cup clash have been reduced by illness – but Ian Evatt is confident the squad will be on message against Solihull Moors.
The Bolton boss has no new injuries and will welcome Carlos Mendes Gomes back for his first appearance since September 5 but speaking on Thursday afternoon he revealed a few of his players had been under the weather this week.
Zac Ashworth is still a doubt as he continues to recover from a calf strain, Joel Coleman is out with an ankle injury and George Johnston continues his rehabilitation from knee surgery.
But with an eye on the trip to Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night, Evatt is considering changes as he looks to gain the first FA Cup victory of his managerial career.
“We have a little bit of illness, in camp, and over the last couple of days it has affected one or two,” he said. “But we have a really strong squad of players.
“Carlos is back fully and will be involved Saturday, and we have a fit and healthy squad that wants to push on now, which is good to see.”
Wanderers go into the game as heavy favourites but Evatt – who knows all about Solihull from his time as Barrow manager and with his connections in the Midlands – is not under-estimating the National League side.
“There is a really tough month coming up with four games before the international window,” he said. “We have won three successive games now but we have reset again to improve.
“When you are on a good run you have to fight very hard to stay on it because as we know in football it takes an age to build confidence but it can go overnight.
“We want to try and keep it high, we know this is a huge game for Solihull and that this is a huge game for them. We have watched three or four or their recent games and they do some pretty good stuff which I think can test us.
“They have always been a good club. They are well funded, have a good owner who I know used to be at Oxford, and I know the way he runs the place is pretty good.
“Being a Coventry lad myself I have come across a couple of their staff before and I know it will be a tough game. I know we’re the favourites and that everyone else will want to see an upset.
“But we will do all the work diligently, we will know what to expect, and for us it is about focusing on our own performance levels and strive for improvement based on what we saw last week.”
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