Preview: Bolton Wanderers vs. Wycombe Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

Wycombe Wanderers will continue their promotion bid when they travel to Lancashire for Friday's meeting with League One playoff hopefuls Bolton Wanderers.

The Chairboys head into the contest in third position, while the Trotters are currently in eighth place with four games left to play.

Match preview

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Bolton were sitting in sixth position after recording consecutive 1-0 victories over Wigan Athletic and Bristol Rovers earlier this month.

However, the Trotters have since slipped out of the top six following back-to-back defeats against Rotherham United and Barnsley.

They were edged out by a 1-0 scoreline in their home meeting with the Millers, before Aaron Collins scored what proved to be a mere consolation in Saturday's heavy 4-1 loss to Barnsley at Oakwell.

As a result, Steven Schumacher's side are now three points adrift of the playoffs with four matches left to play against Wycombe, Lincoln City, Peterborough United and Stevenage.

The Trotters will know that they can ill-afford another defeat in Friday's contest if they are to secure a third consecutive playoff finish, so they may take confidence from the fact that they have won their last two home games against Wycombe.

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Having collected 81 points from 42 matches, Wycombe are guaranteed to secure at least a playoff place, although they are still in the hunt to secure automatic promotion.

The Chairboys are just one point adrift of second-placed Wrexham after bouncing back from a narrow defeat against Reading with consecutive 1-0 victories.

Daniel Udoh scored the decisive goal in an away game against Huddersfield, before Caleb Taylor netted a 91st-minute winner in Saturday's home meeting with Stevenage.

Wycombe boss Mike Dodds would have been particularly pleased that his team have kept four clean sheets in their last five matches, giving them a strong foundation to work with in their final four matches against Bolton, Charlton Athletic, Leyton Orient and Stockport County.

After losing their last two away games against Bolton, the Chairboys will be looking to claim their first win at the Toughsheet Community Stadium since recording a 2-0 victory in January 2022.

Team News

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Bolton are unable to call upon Eoin Toal, Will Forrester, Szabolcs Schon and Victor Adeboyejo, while there are doubts surrounding the availability of Jordi Osei-Tutu, Alex Murphy and Carlos Mendes Gomes.

Aaron Morley, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Wycombe, is set to miss the rest of the campaign after sustaining an ankle injury in Saturday's defeat to Barnsley.

Josh Sheehan was taken off at Oakwell with a thigh issue, and the Wales international is unlikely to fit to feature against the Chairboys.

As for the visitors, they are expected to be without Shamal George, Daniel Harvie, Kieran Sadlier and Bez Lubala.

Experienced winger Gareth McCleary is pushing for a recall after coming off the bench to play around half-an-hour in the win over Stevenage.

Richard Kone will continue to lead the line for the Chairboys with the striker looking to add to his 18-goal league tally for the season.

Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup: Baxter; Forino-Joseph, Santos, Johnston; Jones, Dempsey, Thomason, Dacres-Cogley; Matete, McAtee; Collins

Wycombe Wanderers possible starting lineup: Norris; Grimmer, Taylor, Bradley, Leahy; Scowen, Simons; McCleary, Humphreys, Udoh; Kone

We say: Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers

Bolton have lost five of their previous seven matches, and with injuries taking their toll, we think that the Trotters could fall to a narrow defeat against a Wycombe team that will be full of confidence after claiming back-to-back victories.

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