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Bolton Wanderers v Hull City: LIVE

A huge game for Wanderers as next-to-bottom Hull come to town

Ipswich Town v Bolton Wanderers - Sky Bet Championship
Erhun Oztumer is one of eight changes to the Bolton starting line-up this afternoon
Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images

A terrible performance in the 3-0 mid-week clash with Nottingham Forest has ramped up the pressure on Phil Parkinson and his men. Defeat against Hull City this afternoon could see Wanderers drop to just three points outside the relegation zone.

Our last five fixtures against Hull have gone: Drew, Lost, Drew, Lost, Won, Lost, Won, Lost, Won. So the logic would tell you that the next in the pattern is a defeat. However, Bolton have NEVER lost at home to Hulll. Never! So, hopefully that continues today.

And, like I predicted yesterday, Parky returns to a three at the back, with yet another raft of changes to the starting line-up - including the entire back five. Pawel Olkowski, who pulled out in the warm-up during the week, comes in wide along with Lloyd Dyer, while Jack Hobbs, Marc Wilson and Marc Beevers all come back into the side. While further forward, Erhun Oztumer, Christian Doidge and Clayton Donaldson all come in to start. That’s EIGHT changes to the Forest starting eleven.

Hull City come into the game only off the bottom of the league by one goal from Ipswich and with somewhat of a defensive crisis on their hands. Which pretty much guarantees they’ll keep a clean sheet. I suspect Dan Batty will play at the back, while 20-year-old Robbie McKenzie makes his league debut in midfield. Fraizer Campbell and Jarrod Bowen start up top, with the greatest threat likely to come from winger Kamil Grosicki, who ripped us apart last season. Kevin Stewart, who they spent millions on last season, only makes the bench alongside Derby County loanee Chris Martin.

Here are today’s starting line-ups. Follow all the action in the Comments section below and on Twitter, which I’ll be attempting to double up on this afternoon!

Bolton Wanderers (5-3-2): Ben Alnwick; Pawel Olkowski, Jack Hobbs, Marc Wilson, Mark Beevers, Lloyd Dyer; Joe Williams, Josh Vela; Erhun Oztumer; Christian Doidge, Clayton Donaldson

Substitutes: Josh Magennis, Will Buckley, Luke Murphy, Andrew Taylor, Mark Little, David Wheater, Remi Matthews

Hull City (4-4-2): David Marshall; Eric Lichaj, Tommy Elphick, Dan Batty, Stephen Kingsley; Kamil Grosicki, Markus Henriksen, Robbie McKenzie, Jackson Irvine; Fraizer Campbell, Jarrod Bowen

Substitutes: George Long, Ondrej Mazuch, Kevin Stewart, Nouha Dicko, Todd Kane, Will Keane, Chris Martin