Bolton Wanderers vs Burton Albion. Sky Bet Championship.
University of Bolton StadiumAttendance13,632.
Friday 15 December 2017 12:22, UK
Bolton are sweating on the fitness of captain Darren Pratley ahead of their clash with Burton.
The midfielder was struggling with a knee injury prior to Saturday's loss to Nottingham Forest but managed to make it through 80 minutes. David Wheater, an unused substitute in the midlands on his return from a ban, could be restored to the starting XI while manager Phil Parkinson has other options as Adam Le Fondre, Filipe Morais, Dorian Dervite and Jem Karacan did not even make the squad at Forest.
The Brewers are currently bottom of the Championship table but would leapfrog Bolton with a win. Burton boss Nigel Clough will be hoping his injury problems ease ahead of the trip north.
Matty Lund and Joe Mason both missed last weekend's defeat at Preston through illness but could be pushing for returns.
Lloyd Dyer started at Deepdale having overcome a hamstring issue while Sean Scannell came off the bench and will be in contention to start following a groin injury. Club record signing Liam Boyce continues to recover from the serious knee injury he suffered during pre-season.
This is just the second meeting between these sides in any competition - Burton won 1-0 at the Macron in the League Cup in August 2015 courtesy of a Matt Palmer goal.
Nigel Clough has never won a league match at the Macron as a manager, drawing one and losing one as Derby boss in the 2012/13 and 2013/14 campaigns.
Both teams have found the back of the net in nine of Bolton's last 10 league games.
After losing their first five home league games of the season, the Trotters are unbeaten in their last five (W3 D2).
Burton have won just one of their last 13 games in the Championship (D3 L9) and none of the last five.
Four players have started a Championship match aged 35 or older for the Brewers season (Luke Varney, Lloyd Dyer, Stephen Warnock and Stephen Bywater) - no other side has had more than one start a match.
