Josh Vela Avoids Serious Injury

For once in the recent rocky times at Bolton Wanderers, in which we literally can't go a single game without having a player leave the pitch due to injury, we have some good news on the medical front.

Everyone undoubtedly feared the worst when Josh Vela was stretchered off the field at The Valley on Tuesday night. Vela had scored the first goal for the club in order to drag the Whites back level to 2-2 against Charlton Athletic, and was putting in one of his best performances ever in the middle of the park for Wanderers. So it would have just been our sort of typical luck that, once a player finally has something good going his way, he is struck down by a serious, lengthy injury.

Thankfully, however, scans on Vela's knee have revealed that no ligament damage had been done, and it was only a slight muscle strain to the back of his knee.

He's even in contention to play on Saturday as managerless (but Tim Ream plentiful) Fulham travel to the Macron. Though he still faces late fitness tests and remains very much a doubt.

It's a welcome Christmas day boost for Neil Lennon, who must have thought he'd be without another key player for months on end knowing our recent histories with injury.

For once, however, things have one our way.