Wanderers’ boss Ian Evatt confirmed that midfielder Josh Sheehan is to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury after a battling performance at Wycombe failed to bring the Whites any reward.
Sheehan was injured in Wednesday night’s FA Cup defeat to Stockport County and scans have revealed the Wales international ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament.
The 26-year-old – who had made an impressive start to his Wanderers’ career after signing from Newport County in the summer – will undergo surgery and is expected to be out of action for up to nine months in the latest injury blow to hit the Whites.
Evatt said: “It’s devastating news and we’re devastated for Josh. He’ll get the club’s full support, our full support and the support of the fans to wish him a speedy and good recovery.”
As well as Sheehan’s absence, Wanderers have also lost striker Amadou Bakayoko to a hamstring injury which will keep him out for around six weeks.
And MJ Williams will be further assessed after suffering a shoulder dislocation – which was put back into place – an hour into his comeback at Adams Park.
“It’s tough, it’s challenging but we’ve got what we’ve got and we need to really stick together, keep focused and have that siege mentality of us against the world, which is how it feels at the minute,” added Evatt, who is also currently without senior men Eoin Doyle, Gethin Jones and Andrew Tutte.
“We’ve got a huge, huge injury list but we’ve got what we’ve got until January and for now we have to batten down the hatches and stick together as a group and stick together as a club and hopefully get the support of the fan base to charge us on.
“In times of adversity we should really show what this football club is about and we’ll keep fighting and scrapping and hopefully with two big home games coming up we can get some points on the board.”
Wanderers face Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night and then Cheltenham Town at the University of Bolton Stadium next Saturday after a 1-0 defeat at Wycombe left Evatt’s men 13th in League One.
But Evatt felt his side deserved some reward after responding in impressive fashion to last Wednesday night’s FA Cup exit at Stockport County with Sam Vokes' second-half header the difference between the sides after Wanderers had missed a number of chances of their own.
“On Wednesday we were distraught and disappointed with the performance,” he added.
“Today was much more like it against a team that has just come down from the Championship.
“I think it was a really harsh defeat. I don’t think either team deserved to lose the game.
“We had some really good moments and two or three big, big chances we really should have taken.
“We’ve shown we are together and we are competing. We were all disappointed on Wednesday but that’s gone and we have to focus on the here and now.”
To watch the manager’s full post-match interview, click HERE