Stuart Holden may not be able to take to the field until October, Owen Coyle has revealed.
The Bolton midfielder sustained a knee injury from a tackle by Manchester United’s Jonny Evans, which resulted in him sitting out the final two months of last season.
While the 25-year-old had been hopeful for a September return, Coyle said that the club will err on the side of caution.
"He's optimistic and he is improving, no doubt about it, but we have to make sure we pick the right moment to bring him back and not push him at all," he told Bolton News.
"If we get him back at that point I'd be absolutely thrilled, but we might just have to be a bit patient.
"Let's not get away from it, we've all seen the effect not having him in the team had on us last season. You just don't realise just how much [players] bring to your team until they are not there."
