Bolton Wanderers Football Club

• Nickname:Wanderers
• Founded:1874
• Manager:Dougie Freedman

• Ground:Reebok Stadium
• Capacity:28000

Megson rues further injuries

11 Jan 2009 - 11:00:07

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Gary Megson claims Bolton Wanderers have their 'backs to the wall' after suffering further injury problems during the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal.

An injury-plagued Trotters side held out for 84 minutes before losing to a late Nicklas Bendtner strike at the Emirates Stadium.

Megson was only able to name four substitutes out of a possible seven due to injuries and suspensions.

Sweden striker Johan Elmander was unable to complete the full 90 minutes, while Gavin McCann battled on despite a broken toe to further add to Megson's problems.

"People have known from the outset that we've only got 18 professionals when everybody is fit and we had eight of them missing," he told the club's official website.

"Johan has had to come off halfway through the first half, Gavin McCann has unfortunately broken his toe so we have really got our backs to the wall.

"Hopefully next week Gretar (Steinsson) will come back and Nicky Hunt is over his problems and we'd like to see Gary Cahill being available again."

Meanwhile, Megson was full of praise for the battling performance of his depleted side.

"We'd love to be getting something from it, but if there is a way to play and you don't get a point then that was certainly it," he added.

"The effort and honesty, and at times the quality, was top-class and I'm bitterly disappointed not with them, but for them.

"The game in terms of possession wasn't really a contest. We didn't want to go chasing the ball around the pitch, we wanted to keep ourselves solid."