|
Wanderers will be looking for a win to move themselves onto fifty points and keep within the top ten positions of the Premiership, the further up the league they go would mean more finance for Sam Allardyce to spend on his squad for next season whilst Leeds will need the win to fend off the increasing threat of relegation which has hung over them for most of the season.
Games between the two sides are usually good battles and one positive for Leeds to take note of is that they have won all their Premiership clashes against the Trotters either at Burnden Park or the Reebok Stadium. The last two games on Bolton turf have ended 3-0 to the Yorkshire side however with the Wanderers on the back of three successive wins it is hard for the bookies to look to anything but a home win, despite this Leeds will be hoping to overcome the odds and put last weekend's disappointment against Portsmouth behind them and try and get something on their trip across the Pennines.
Bolton have a doubt over Brazilian defender Emerson Thome after he picked up a knee injury during last weekend's win over Southampton. The Wanderers medical team are awaiting the results of a scan to determine whether or not the former Sunderland player will make the clash against United. Nicky Hunt may be recalled to the side after impressing as a substitute during the second half at St Mary's last weekend whilst Jamaican international Donovan Ricketts could also retain his place as back up to Jussi Jaaskelainen on the Bolton bench having been instrumental during his country's win over Venezuela in midweek.
Leeds boss Eddie Gray is able to welcome back top scorer Mark Viduka after the Australian international missed the Portsmouth game through suspension. It is expected that the former Celtic star will replace Simon Johnson in the United attack. Midfielders Stephen McPhail and Aaron Lennon are both pushing for Premiership starts having impressed as substitutes against Pompey. Bolton-born Jason Wilcox is also in contention to face his hometown club despite having a season which has been blighted by various injuries but fellow midfielder Seth Johnson will miss the rest of the season having picked up a leg injury during the recent clash with Blackburn Rovers.
Prior to the commencement of the game the club will hold a minutes silence in memory of former Bolton Wanderers and England goalkeeper Eddie Hopkinson who died in his sleep last week at the age of 69.
PLAYED FOR BOTH
PETER BARNES
JEFF CHANDLER
WAYNE ENTWISTLE
CHRIS FAIRCLOUGH
MARK GAVIN
BILLY MCADAMS
JOHN MCGOVERN
NEIL MCNAB
JON NEWSOME
SCOTT SELLARS
JOHN SHERIDAN
BOB TAYLOR
ROD WALLACE
MIKE WHITLOW
FRANK WORTHINGTON
OTHER CONNECTIONS
BERT SPROSTON
THIS GAME IS LIVE ON SKY SPORTS PAY PER VIEW CHANNEL AND HAS A 2PM KICK OFF TIME