Preview: Bolton Wanderers vs. Lincoln City - prediction, team news, lineups

Round 35 of League One comes to an end at the University of Bolton Stadium where Bolton Wanderers play host to Lincoln City on Tuesday.

The Trotters will be looking to complete a league double over the visitors after grinding out a 1-0 victory when the sides squared off in August's reverse fixture.

Match preview

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Ian Evatt's Bolton Wanderers returned to winning ways in style as they comfortably saw off relegation-threatened Wimbledon 4-0 on home turf last Saturday.

In a one-sided affair, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Oladapo Afolayan, Dion Charles and Amadou Bakayoko were all on target to condemn the visitors to their 13th defeat of the season.

This followed a 3-1 defeat against 12th-placed Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium Princess Way on February 13 which saw their seven-game unbeaten streak come to an end.

Bolton Wanderers head into Thursday's game on a run of seven wins and one draw from their last 10 games and this has seen them rise to 10th place in the League One standings with 48 points from 33 games.

This turnaround has been owing to the solid job done at both ends of the pitch as they have scored 22 goals and conceded just five since a 2-0 loss against Wycombe Wanderers on January 11.

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Meanwhile, Lincoln City continue to struggle for form in the League One as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Doncaster Rovers at the LNER Stadium last Tuesday.

Despite seeing over 70% of the ball possession, Sincil Bank's men failed to convert any of their several clear-cut chances as English midfielder Dan Gardner clinically executed his 80th-minute penalty to hand the visitors all three points.

The Imps head into Tuesday's game winless in all but one of their last five games — losing three and claiming one draw — with a 2-1 win over Morecambe on February 8 being the only exception.

With 35 points from 31 games, Lincoln City are currently 17th in the League One standings, five points above Morecambe in the final relegation spot.

Their struggles this season have come on home turf, where they have managed just four wins from 17 games and currently boast the league's fourth-poorest record with 16 points from an available 51.

Team News

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Evatt will be unable to call upon the services of Josh Sheehan after the 26-year-old midfielder ruptured his cruciate ligament in November's FA Cup defeat against Stockport County.

With his strike against Wimbledon last time out, Afolayan now has 11 goals and three assists under his belt and the Englishman will be tasked with handling business at the attacking end of the pitch once again.

Bakayoko was dropped to the substitutes' bench in the aforementioned game but after coming on to find the target, the 26-year-old could be rewarded with a return to the starting XI on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Lincoln City will take to the pitch without the services of Joe Walsh after the Welshman received his marching orders in the FA Cup game against Doncaster Rovers last time out.

In the absence of the centre-back, Timothy Eyoma should come into the fold and team up with Regan Poole, who has featured in 30 of the 31 league games this season.

Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Jones, Santos, Johnston; Fossey, Morley, John, Dempsey; Afolayan, Bodvarsson, Charles

Lincoln City possible starting lineup:
Griffiths; Bramall, Poole, Eyoma, Norton-Cuffy; McGrandles, Sanders; Maguire, Cullen, Whittaker; Marquis

We say: Bolton Wanderers 3-1 Lincoln City

Since losing their opening three games of the New Year, Bolton Wanderers have turned a corner in impressive fashion, claiming seven wins and one draw from nine outings. Next up is an out-of-sorts Lincoln City side who have struggled for consistency this season and are languishing five points above the relegation zone. We are backing Bolton to come away with a comfortable win on Tuesday.

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