Scans reveal that the midfielder has injured the lateral ligament in his left knee
Bolton Wanderers can confirm that Josh Vela faces approximately four months on the sidelines after picking up an injury against Crawley Town on Tuesday.
Scans revealed that the midfielder has injured the lateral ligament in his left knee.
The 18-year-old sustained the injury after just six minutes in the Capital One Cup tie.
Manager Owen Coyle said: “Josh landed awkwardly and that is how the damage has been done.
“We feel for him because he had a period of injury last season, but he bounced back from that and appeared in the Premier League where he showed his quality.
“He will bounce back from this too and we will give him every ounce of help to make sure that he returns and becomes the top player that we all believe he can be.”