Bolton sit in the relegation zone after picking up just six points from ten Premier League games, with the Trotters still looking for first points at Reebok Stadium. Stoke, on the other hand, are safe in mid table, and while they enter this game on the back of Europa League win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, their recent Premiership showings have been far from impressive.

Fans still have faith in Coyle

Bolton are clearly a side that encountered the most difficult fixture list at the start to the Premiership campaign, and that was definitely one of the reasons for the disappointing results. The away win over Wigan was believed to be a step in the right direction, but then came defeats to Sunderland, Arsenal and Swansea, and now it’s back to the drawing board. There is no doubt that this side have a lot more potential than they are showing and that numerous injury problems are another reason why the Trotters cannot seem to gain any momentum, but home game against tired Stoke is a perfect opportunity to end the barren run. Even if there are still a lot of players on the sidelines, Owen Coyle will have several important players back to the side and that could be just the boost they need to kick-start this season. Unlike Stoke City, who had a difficult game on Thursday, Bolton were not in action in midweek and that should give them extra edge over their opponents.

Ricardo Gardner misses out through suspension, but Kevin Davies and Ivan Klasnic should return to the starting line-up. Holden, Alonso, Boyatta, Mears, Lee, Ricketts and Mark Davies are all sidelined.

Stoke on the downtrend

Stoke started this season earlier than most other Premiership sides, having entered the Europa League qualifiers and that helped them hit the ground running early into the season. The Potters played really well on both domestic and European stage, but the hectic schedule has started to take its toll on the players, as Tony Pulis doesn’t have such a big squad to choose from. As a result, Stoke have lost three successive games in all competitions before beating Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, so the game against Bolton definitely comes at a bad time. Tony Pulis managed to rest several starters in Israel, but others were forced to play and no wonder that his players are now feeling tired and are on the brink of injuries. This could end up costing the Potters dearly in the clash with very motivated Bolton side and is bound to give the hosts the extra edge in this clash.

Ryan Shawcross and Marc Wilson are both doubtful, as are Matthew Etherington, Jermaine Pennant and Rory Delap.

Verdict

Bolton’s disappointing showings are the result of a series of unfortunate events rather than anything else and I am positive this team have what it takes to turn the season around. Stoke, on the other hand, are struggling to cope with the busy schedule and I am inclined to backing Bolton here.

Our prediction: Bolton Draw No Bet

Odds: 1.73 (8/11)

Bookmaker: Stan James