Bolton Wanderers vs Blackpool. Sky Bet League One.
University of Bolton StadiumAttendance14,003.
Watch live on Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm on Monday; Kick-off is at 8pm. Former Bolton boss Phil Parkinson a studio guest.
Monday 7 October 2019 16:25, UK
Bolton face Blackpool in Sky Bet League One on Monday, live on Sky Sports Football.
New signing Joseph Dodoo could make his debut for Bolton in their League One clash with Blackpool. The 24-year-old striker, who spent last season on loan at Blackpool, was a free agent after his contract with Rangers expired and he has signed a deal until the end of the season.
Daryl Murphy made his debut against Portsmouth last weekend after recovering from a calf injury and suffered no adverse reaction so could be included again. Jake Wright (hamstring) and Chris O'Grady (knee) will be checked.
Blackpool are waiting to see whether Nathan Delfouneso, Sullay Kaikai and Joe Nuttall will be fit. All three are being closely monitored, and boss Simon Grayson is hoping the match being put back to Monday night may allow at least one of the trio to be included.
The Seasiders will be without Jordan Thompson, though, who is on international duty with Northern Ireland. The club did put in a request for the midfielder to join up with his country after the match but it was turned down.
Winless Bolton's results are starting to pick up under Keith Hill and they've picked up two points from their last three league games, holding Sunderland and Oxford to 1-1 and 0-0 draws, respectively. Their last League One outing resulted in a narrow 1-0 loss away at Portsmouth, while they held Rochdale in the Leasing.com Trophy on Tuesday.
Blackpool led the division in the first weeks of the season, but successive defeats to Coventry and MK Dons at the start of September brought them down a notch. Simon Grayson's men have bounced back in the last three games, though. They beat Doncaster 1-0 at the Keepmoat Stadium, drew 1-1 away to Accrington and then scored two inside the first 25 minutes in a 2-1 win at home to Lincoln.
Bolton boss Keith Hill: "We want to unite this club. Everybody should be embracing each other's presence and be inspired by working and on behalf of this football club. We'll fight the (relegation) odds. It'll take solidarity and staying on a sound plan to reinvigorate the fortunes of this football club."
Blackpool boss Simon Grayson: "At least we now know what personnel they have got and what they have been playing recently. They've had some good results in the last few weeks with the better and stronger squad they've got.
"I said a few weeks ago it's a strange position to be in where some clubs will be moaning it's a guaranteed three points in the early part of the season. But other teams down the bottom will be saying they're happy because it gives them more of a fighting chance to stay in the division with Bolton not picking up points."
They remain without a win and are 18 points from safety as it stands, but Bolton's newly-assembled squad is starting to gel. Gone are those early season thumpings at the hands of Tranmere, Ipswich, Gillingham and Rotherham; under Keith Hill, there's a new-found solidity at the back, with just three goals conceded in their last four in all competitions.
Taking things one step at a time is key, but if he can start to get his troops firing, there could be plenty for Wanderers fans to start to get excited about. The threat of relegation is a reality but a consequence more digestible than losing the club as a whole, as was almost the case this summer. Then again, stranger things have happened...
Bolton are unbeaten in their last 12 home matches in all competitions against Blackpool (W8 D4), scoring in each encounter and keeping seven clean sheets.
Seven of the last nine league games between Bolton and Blackpool have ended level, with both sides claiming a victory each.
Bolton are winless in their last 16 league games (D3 L13), they last went on a longer run without victory in December 2015 (17).
Blackpool have lost just one of their last six league away trips (W2 D3), and are unbeaten in their last two.
Four of Armand Gnanduillet's five league goals for Blackpool have been headers this season; the most of any player in the division.
Bolton may not have won a game yet this season, but their last three League One fixtures have been extremely tough and they are not getting hammered by five or six anymore, so at least they are on the right path.
Blackpool, meanwhile, are back on the up, having picked up seven points from their last three games. I think they will be the winners on Monday night.
David Prutton predicts: 1-2 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
