Bolton vs Bristol Rovers: Match Preview

Tuesday night will see Bolton host Ben Garner’s Bristol Rovers at the University of Bolton Stadium.

Bolton go into the game off the back of a ten-day break, not playing since the closely fought 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth.

Team News:

Joe Bunney returned to under-23s action against Sheffield Wednesday last week and could be in contention to return to the first team for the game.

Ali Crawford and Jack Hobbs returned to light training on the grass this week but remain doubts to be back in first-team action.

Head to Head:

The Whites have gone up against Rovers a total of 32 times dating back to 1905, the first three meetings coming in the F.A. Cup. Altogether, Bolton slightly edge the head to head, winning 13 games to Rovers’ 10 and nine draws.

The most recent came in October when Bolton won 2-0 away from home, their first victory of the season.

Match Coverage:

As usual, match updates will be provided by the club’s official twitter account (@OfficialBWFC). We will keep you up to date with the action to ensure you don’t miss a kick – delivering a match report shortly after the final whistle with post-match reaction from manager, Keith Hill.

Live commentary will also be available by the iFollow BWFC channel (subscribe via the website), with the BBC Radio Manchester team providing the coverage.

Man in the middle:

The referee for the match will be Andy Haines who has officiated 27 times this season across all domestic competitions. Haines has handed out a total of 71 yellow cards this year as well as seven straight reds and will be joined by fellow officials Richard Wigglesworth, Alix Pashley, and fourth official Simon Mather.

Haines has only refereed Bolton once this year in the 5-2 cup defeat to Rochdale.

Key man for The Pirates: Jonson Clarke-Harris

Bolton will have to be wary of Clarke-Harris, the 25-year-old has an impressive goal-scoring record since signing for the club in January 2019. He has scored nine goals in 17 appearances in Sky Bet League One this season, making him Rovers’ top scorer.

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