'Buy into that' - Ian Evatt's Bolton Wanderers squad management challenge highlighted

Ian Evatt admits it will be a test of his management skills to see if he can keep a big and competitive squad at Bolton Wanderers happy but believes success and winning games will be a big help in that aim.

Wanderers have a near fully-fit squad for Evatt to choose from, which is laden with options throughout the pitch. Dion Charles is also currently out with a mild thigh problem and working his way back to full fitness.

New defender Eoin Toal is working hard behind the scenes to prepare him for life at his new club following a move from Derry City. Long term absentees Josh Sheehan and Lloyd Isgrove are also closing in on a return for the club's B team before being considered for the first team.

READ MORE: Inside the rise of Dion Charles & why Bolton Wanderers have got 'steal of the century' with striker

Evatt is rotating his squad to cope with the intense and competitive campaign that Wanderers have ahead of them, allied to a playing style which demands freshness and hard work in order to be at its best. He believes his squad are buying into that philosophy and realise the quality of players surrounding them.

Evatt knows it will be a challenge to keep all players happy and give them sufficient game time and does not know if that is ultimately possible. But he believes that the players are all very much behind one another in their quest to do the best they can this season.

Evatt said: “Whether that’s possible (to keep all players happy), I don’t know. But what does keep players happy is success and if you keep winning games, then players tend to buy into that over anything else, like anyone does. A football club can only really function if the football’s good, it’s as simple as that.

“All the teething problems