Having seen their seven-game unbeaten run come to an end last time out, Charlton Athletic aim to get back on track when Bolton Wanderers visit The Valley on Saturday in League One.

The Addicks fell to a 3-1 defeat to Lincoln City in their midweek affair, while the Trotters continued their promotion push by overcoming Wycombe Wanderers 4-2.

Match preview

A four-game homestand proved to be an incredibly joyous episode for Charlton Athletic, who opened October with victories over Exeter City, Reading and Aston Villa's Under-21s at The Valley, scoring four goals in each of those emphatic wins.

A 2-2 draw with Blackpool was not the worst outcome in the world either, and Michael Appleton's men needed just 10 minutes to flaunt their attacking powers on Lincoln's turf on Tuesday, where Alfie May's ninth goal of the league campaign sent the Addicks ahead.

However, Charlton's hard work was soon undone by a brace from Hakeeb Adelakun, who netted his two strikes either side of the half-time whistle before Sean Roughan removed any shred of doubt 12 minutes from time, prolonging the Addicks' winless run away from home in the process and handing Appleton his first defeat in the hotseat.

Despite witnessing a glut of goals from his charges at The Valley, Appleton conceded that there was a "question mark" over his side's effort levels at Lincoln, where a fifth defeat of the new term leaves Charlton in an unlucky 13th place heading into Saturday's showdown.

Amid their continued psychological barrier on the road, Charlton are now returning to a ground where five of their last six games in all tournaments have ended in victory, while their 19 home goals this season is by far and away the best record in League One so far.

Despite Charlton's intimidating attacking record, one can be sure that Bolton will fight fire with fire on Saturday, as was the case when Ian Evatt took his side to Wycombe's Adams Park for a midweek meeting on Tuesday.

Goals from Paris Maghoma and George Thomason would seemingly be in vain, as Wycombe fought back to level the tie through Luke Leahy and David Wheeler, but a last-gasp surge from the Trotters saw Eoin Toal and Aaron Morley restore the visitors' two-goal cushion.

Pandemonium erupted in the away end at Adams Park as Bolton registered their fifth win from their last six matches across all competitions, which keeps Evatt's side in the promotion mix in fourth place and only two points worse off than Oxford United in the final automatic promotion spot.

Since a 4-0 home humiliation at the hands of Wigan Athletic in August, Bolton have managed to make the net bulge in 12 fixtures on the bounce, although just one clean sheet in eight matches may cause some alarm ahead of a visit to the Charlton fortress.

A tie that was a Premier League fixture as recently as 2007, Bolton have since had Charlton's number in League One, winning each of the last four battles between the sides since their reunion in 2021, all of which have seen both teams breach the other's backline.

Team News

Charlton were unable to call upon Chuks Aneke for the clash with Lincoln due to the hamstring injury he suffered in the 4-0 dismantling of Reading, and the 30-year-old will not play again for a couple of months.

Midfielder Terry Taylor is also out of action for the hosts with a severe ankle injury, while Conor McGrandles, Harry Isted and Tayo Edun are also taking up beds in the medical room.

Having publicly criticised the desire of his players against Lincoln, Appleton may give consideration to a couple of changes, as Chem Campbell and Panutche Camara hope to force their way into the engine room.

Regarding Bolton, Carlos Mendes Gomes remains out of contention for the time being as he remains on the road to recovery from a hamstring issue, while Kyle Dempsey's back problem is continuing to give him grief.

Long-term absentee George Johnston is not expected to feature at all for the remainder of the season due to a severe knee injury, but Evatt's squad is otherwise in good shape, and an identical XI could be sent out barring any unforeseen setbacks.

Morley's late spot kick is unlikely to be enough for the 23-year-old to force his way into the engine room, especially with Josh Sheehan coming up with a pair of assists at Adams Park on Tuesday.

Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:
Maynard-Brewer; Watson, Jones, Hector, Thomas; Camara, Dobson; T. Campbell, C. Campbell, Blackett-Taylor; May

Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Baxter; Toal, Forrester, Santos; Sheehan; Jones, Thomason, Maghoma, Dacres-Cogley; Adeboyejo, Charles

We say: Charlton Athletic 2-2 Bolton Wanderers

Charlton manager Appleton ought to get the response he is after from his side this weekend, as the Addicks never have any trouble converting their chances at The Valley, as evidenced by their unrivalled home scoring record in the third tier.

However, an equally ruthless Bolton side know a thing or two about overcoming adversity on the road, and a showdown that should certainly live up to the billing could end with the two managers accepting a point apiece after an end-to-end battle.


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