Tierney Won’t Be Risked

Bolton have been without Marc Tierney for the most part of this season but a return before the end of the season could have been a possibility.

Dougie Freedman had been tempted to ‘fast track’ the left-back into his first-team plans before the end of the season but with him ‘lacking a lot of conditioning’, and Bolton safe from relegation trouble, it has been decided it’s too risky.

The 28-year-old, out since September with his broken leg, is another that is definitely out for the season.

Freedman told the Bolton News: ‘He’s out running, his leg is okay, but he’s lacking a lot of conditioning. He isn’t quite there strength-wise and so it’s a risk.

‘We could have possibly pushed him, if needed, but we have decided against it, so he won’t play for the remainder of the season.

Given the chances of further injuries if he is ‘pushed’, when he isn’t needed now as little will be gained from this, there really isn’t any benefit so it has been decided to let him keep building up his strength for the remainder of the season and over the summer.

That way it will make him fresh for next season.

He added: ‘To push him and take a gamble – what for? It’s been a long injury and the sports scientists tell me that possibly he can pick up other injuries, calf, hamstrings, things like that.

‘We’ve just taken the view to get him strengthened over the summer, take no risks, and leave him until next season.’

In effect the full-back will become like a new signing for Bolton, which if pushed unnecessarily for the closing weeks of this one he could have missed that too!

Mr Ecky sends his best to the Vital Bolton community, he’s currently not well, he’ll be back as soon as possible and in the meantime, he’s got a staff writer to fill in for him.

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