It’s the FA Cup and all the clichés that surround it. Bolton make their bow tomorrow against a Walsall side that is looking to cause another minor upset, after beating Sunderland in the last round. We come into the match off the back of a few problems, one being an absolute thrashing against Hull the other day, and the other being yet another new embargo, this time on registering our loan players who are joining permanently, and Gary O’Neil, who was out of contract.
🎥 On camera. Watch the gaffer's pre-match interview ahead of tomorrow's visit of @WFCOfficial to the @UoBStadium in the @EmiratesFACup.
👉🏻 https://t.co/EGAJGvNiSg#BWFC 🐘🏰
— Bolton Wanderers (@OfficialBWFC) January 4, 2019
Team news
Christian Doidge, Remi Matthews and Gary O’Neil are prevented from playing due to those off-field issues. Jack Hobbs and Marc Wilson have been injured, Will Buckley will be on the bench at best having being ill, while Andy Taylor is still struggling. Walsall could hand a debut to ex-Wolves and West Ham winger Matt Jarvis, who has joined on loan from Norwich, but a number of players have left them to return to parent clubs.
Stats and facts
These two have never met in the Cup, the last meeting between us two was in February 2017. Erhun Oztumer opened the scoring, but we ran out 4-1 winners at the Macron.
We’re looking to avoid a third straight elimination at the third-round stage, but we did get there in 2016-17 having started from the first round.We are 17 places above Walsall in the ‘pyramid’ – expect the word pyramid to be used a lot this weekend.
Prediction
A lot is made about the ever-widening gap between the Championship and League One. Hopefully, this goes in our favour. 2-0.