Bolton Wanderers vs Leeds United. Sky Bet Championship.
University of Bolton StadiumAttendance17,484.
Thursday 2 April 2020 11:34, UK
Troubled Bolton have staved off player unrest ahead of their match against Leeds with chairman Ken Anderson stepping in to pay wages out of his own pocket.
Wages were paid two weeks late, a situation which was becoming a significant distraction ahead of the match.
That is not the end of Bolton's woes however, and star man Sammy Ameobi will miss Saturday's match through suspension after seeing red against Norwich last week. Ameobi scored in a 3-2 defeat at Carrow Road before being sent off just before Norwich's stoppage-time winner.
Leeds boss Marco Bielsa could begin a new policy of rotating players as the busy festive period approaches. The Argentinian has largely avoided unforced changes to date but has said that will change as the fixtures mount in the coming weeks.
His options should be boosted by the return to fitness of Patrick Bamford and Izzy Brown. Bamford scored a hat-trick for the under-23s in midweek, but must dislodge the in-form Kemar Roofe to get in Bielsa's side.
Bolton have lost each of their last five matches against Leeds in all competitions despite finding the net at least once in each game.
Leeds have lost just one of their last 14 away matches against Bolton (W9 D4), a 1-4 defeat in the Premier League in May 2004.
Bolton have only picked up just three points from their last 11 league games (D3 L8), scoring five goals and conceding 17.
Leeds have had a different manager in each of their last 10 away league visits to Bolton since 1995 - Wilkinson, Graham, O'Leary, Venables, Gray, Warnock, McDermott, Redfearn, Evans and Christiansen.
Leeds have won each of their last four Championship matches; they last won five league games in a row in December 2009 when in the third tier.
No Championship side has made more changes to their starting line-up this season than Bolton (59, level with Sheffield Wednesday), whilst only Birmingham City (16) have made fewer changes than Leeds (23).
It really doesn't bode well for Bolton that they scored two goals in a game for the first time since September 1 against Norwich but they still came away without a point.
Leeds have a massive injury list but it hasn't caught up with them yet and Marcelo Bielsa has done a terrific job of managing their squad. Even with all the absentees I can't see this being anything but a comfortable away win.
David Prutton predicts: 0-3 (11/1 with Sky Bet)
