Preview: Port Vale vs Bolton Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

Bolton Wanderers face Port Vale on Saturday afternoon looking for the win that will keep them in the race for automatic promotion to the Championship.

At a time when the visitors sit in third place in the League One table, Vale remain bottom of the standings and a mammoth 14 points adrift of safety.

Match preview

With Cardiff City having lost three of their last six matches, the door has been ajar for Bolton to catapult themselves into contention for automatic promotion.

However, despite an unbeaten streak in League One that has now reached 13 games, Steven Schumacher's side have posted five draws in seven matches.

As a result, the gap to Cardiff is still at 10 points with eight matches remaining. The clubs are scheduled to meet in South Wales on April 11.

That is something that will encourage Bolton to keep pushing for the top two, yet they cannot afford results such as goalless draws at home to 17th-placed Doncaster Rovers earlier this week.

The solitary positive was that it ended a seven-game wait for another clean sheet, with Bolton remaining with the joint-second best defensive record in the division.

© Imago

Meanwhile, Port Vale have struggled to transfer their FA Cup form into the three games that have followed since their famous win over Sunderland on March 8.

Just one point has been collected from matches against Bradford City, Huddersfield Town and relegation rivals Blackpool, who now sit 13 points ahead of the Valiants in 21st place.

Regardless of Jon Brady's team still having three games in hand on many of the teams above them, they need to win at least five of their final 11 games to have any chance of avoiding relegation to League Two.

Despite their recent heroics at Vale Park, they have not recorded a home league win since January 1, albeit with four draws coming from the last five such encounters.

Port Vale League One form:

Port Vale form (all competitions):

Bolton Wanderers League One form:

Team News

© Iconsport / Sportimage, Sportimage Ltd / Alamy

With his side having led Blackpool on Tuesday prior to any substitutions being made, Brady may be tempted to name an unchanged Port Vale XI.

Ben Garrity is an option to return in midfield, although it is plausible that he will be given more time to get back up to speed after injury.

The likes of Ben Heneghan, Cameron Humphreys and Jayden Stockley remain sidelined, but Ben Waine could return after being rested for the trip to Blackpool.

Schumacher will freshen up his Bolton side, with Jordi Osei-Tutu, Rob Apter and Ibrahim Cissoko all options in wide areas.

Xavier Simons and Ethan Erhahon could also come into contention in midfield.

Port Vale possible starting lineup:

Gauci; Magloire, Hall, Campbell; Lawrence-Gabriel, Shipley, Ojo, Walters, Gordon; Waine, Sherif

Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Bonham, Christie, Toal, Johnston, Conway; Sheehan, Erhahon; Apter, Kenny, Cissoko; Dalby

We say: Port Vale 1-1 Bolton Wanderers

With Cardiff stuttering ahead of them, Bolton know that three points are a must at Vale Park. However, bigger teams than the Trotters have struggled at this ground of late, leading us to predict a hard-fought share of the spoils that would ultimately benefit neither team.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.