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Date: Sunday 7th January 2024
Kick-off: 2pm
Venue: Kenilworth Road
Bolton Wanderers are second in League One
On Sunday Luton host high-flying Bolton Wanderers for the first time in 27 years, as the sides face off in the FA Cup third round.
Ian Evatt has his Bolton side flying and the Trotters sit second in League One with a game in hand as they chase a return to the Championship. They have won four of their last six games, losing to table-topping Portsmouth and mid-table Bristol Rovers.
The Greater Manchester-based side have been scoring for fun, netting 45 league goals in 24 games, the third highest in League One. Whilst the majority of goals have come from Northern Irish striker Dion Charles, Bolton have had 12 different goal scorers in the league.
Ruled out for the game: George Johnston & Dan Nlundulu (injured), Gethin Jones & Carlos Mendes Gomes (international duty)
Players to Watch
Dion Charles
Northern Ireland international, Dion Charles is the star man for Ian Evatt's side. The 28-year-old striker is enjoying the best football of his career in Bolton, scoring 45 goals in 104 appearances.
He is crucial to Bolton's success and has featured in all but one league fixtures this season, starting in every match he has played and scoring on 13 occasions.
Dion Charles in League One 2023/24 - Correct as of 6/1/2024 (Data - Sofascore)
Appearances | 23 |
Minutes per Game | 80 |
Goals | 13 |
Assists | 1 |
Touches per Game | 25.8 |
Shots per Game | 3 |
Goal Conversion | 19% |
Josh Sheehan
Welsh midfielder Josh Sheehan has been Bolton's most creative player this season, providing six assists in league One.
Sheehan has featured in all but one league matches this season, starting 19 times and averaging 73 minutes per game.
Josh Sheehan has made five appearances for Wales
The 28-year-old has been with the Trotters since the Summer of 2021, after signing from Newport County, where he played 179 times. Sheehan has made 81 appearances for Bolton since signing and has been a key part of the Bolton midfield since joining.
Capped five times by Wales, Sheehan averages 50.1 touches per game and is also an important element of Bolton's defensive play with 1.1 tackles per game and 3.6 ball recoveries per game.
Ricardo Santos
Central defender Ricardo Santos has been part of a defence which has kept 11 clean sheets from 24 games in League One this season.
Towering at 6'5", Santos has won 78% of aerial duels and clearly relishes a physical battle. The Portuguese defender has been with Bolton since August 2020, making 154 appearances for the Trotters and playing a key part in a Bolton side which has been pushing for promotion for the last few seasons.
The defender sees plenty of the ball during matches, averaging 84.8 touches per game and 61.5 accurate passes per game, a pass completion rate of 85%.
Ricardo Santos in League One 2023/24 Correct as of 6/1/2024 (Data - Sofascore)
Appearances | 19 |
Minutes per game | 85 |
Clean Sheets | 10 |
Interception per Game | 0.7 |
Tackles per Game | 1.8 |
Ball Recoveries per Game | 5.9 |
Clearances per Game | 4.4 |
Predicted XI
Baxter, Toal, Santos, Forrester, Sheehan, Conley, Morley, Thomason, Williams, Charles, Adeboyejo