Wanderers sent their collective best wishes to captain Ricardo Almeida Santos as they delivered a precious point for their hospitalised leader.
Santos needed to go into hospital on Thursday after suffering a severe viral infection and suspected bout of pneumonia.
The big defender initially required help to breathe but is hopefully over the worst and was lifted by Wanderers’ fighting spirit as they came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Bristol Rovers thanks to Dion Charles’ injury-time leveller.
“It was bad news for us all,” said Wanderers' boss Ian Evatt of his stricken skipper.
“It happened so quickly that it kind of rocked us all and worried us all.
“He’s one of us and our captain and our leader and we miss him immensely.
“We will rally around him and his family and wish him a speedy recovery.
“The boys responded great. We found a way to come back with a late goal again. We are the masters of that.
“I’m delighted for them to get what they deserved in the end and we wish Rico a really speedy recovery.”
Wanderers also lost midfielder George Thomason to a knee injury which will need to be assessed and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson with a battered nose and suspected concussion.
They also suffered the frustration of conceding another early goal as Rovers grabbed a first-minute lead to give themselves something to protect on the back of a decent league run.
But Wanderers again went on to dominate and after scoring two late goals to win at Fleetwood a fortnight ago kept going to the end to get their reward through Charles’ classy finish after he came off the bench to grab his first goal in five games.
“He came on and showed everyone what he can do. I’m delighted for him. He deserves that goal,” added Evatt, whose side stayed handily placed in fifth in the League One table.
“This group of players never know when they’re beaten. They’ve tried their best to get back into the game.
“I think they had two shots – one on target which was the first minute of the game and scored. We’ve had 19, five on target and loads of opportunities.
“I’ve never known a spell where a team is creating so much and having so much in the final third and just not taking them. We have to stay positive that will change.
“There was lots to like about that performance. The spirit and ability to keep going despite all the distractions going on around them was excellent.
“We got ourselves a deserved point. I thought we deserved to win the game, but it would have been a travesty not to have got anything.”