Owen Coyle has praised the willingness of his Bolton players to sacrifice their bodies as they battle against the drop.
Bolton boss waits on the fitness of a clutch of players
Owen Coyle has praised the willingness of his Bolton players to sacrifice their bodies as they battle against the drop.
The Trotters have had to contend with a wretched injury list for the majority of the campaign, which has proved a major handicap for them all season.
Lee Chung-yong has missed the whole season with a broken leg, while Stuart Holden and Tyrone Mears have made just one appearance due to serious knee injuries.
Veteran full-back Ricardo Gardner has missed a month with hip and thigh problems, while the whole club have had to cope with the emotionally draining effects of Fabrice Muamba's cardiac arrest.
Train
Yet the Lancashire outfit have shown real grit to grind out 13 points from their last seven matches, prompting Coyle to highlight the commitment of his walking wounded ahead of Saturday's game at Sunderland.
"I've six players who were involved against Aston Villa that can't train today," he said.
"But I'm hoping we can patch a few of them up and get them out there on Saturday. It's not rocket science to know Chris Eagles came off with an injury (at Villa).
"Mark Davies was touch and go to play beforehand, managed to come through it, but he's another one who is doubtful.
"Ryo Miyaichi received a bang on his shoulder, and then one or two others who came into the game have taken knocks. "
Bolton are just one point away from safety with a game in hand on their rivals and Coyle has praised the unity that has given them a fighting chance of survival.
He added: "Another one or two are ongoing who have played through injury for the team, but that's the spirit we've got, so hopefully we can get a number of them available."
