Bolton will look to maintain their hold on third place tomorrow night, and maybe even strengthen it, when they make the short trip to Salford.
This match was originally meant to be played in February, but Salford’s pitch was deemed unplayable and it was postponed. Since then, things have changed. We come here now well clear of the pound-shop Man Utd, a lengthy unbeaten run (since ended of course) and January signings bedded in.
Team news
There will be one change from Saturday’s starting lineup, as Marcus Maddison has left the club. George Thomason would likely come in but changes could be made in any of those three attacking midfield places. Going off Ian Evatt’s comments in the Bolton News, Antoni Sarcevic’s target appears to be Morecambe a week on Saturday regarding a return, while Dennis Politic and Liam Edwards remain long-term absentees.
Previously
This is our first trip to Salford, but we did play them at the UniBol in November, when Eoin Doyle scored and Jordan Turnbull sealed a 2-0 victory with an own goal.
The opposition
It has been a disappointing season for Salford. Richie Wellens was relatively new in charge for the reverse fixture, but after a poor mid-season, he was sacked despite winning the 2020 EFL Trophy final. Gary Bowyer is in charge now, Salford still have a good chance of going up though, ninth at the moment, three points off the play-offs, and they don’t really lose at home.
Prediction
I’ll go for a draw here, just because of Salford’s run of results at home. 1-1