Bolton Wanderers vs Queens Park Rangers preview - Coyle waits for Alonso - 7M sport

Bolton Wanderers vs Queens Park Rangers preview - Coyle waits for Alonso



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Posted Saturday, March 10, 2012 by PA

Bolton manager Owen Coyle will wait to discover whether Marcos Alonso will be available before finalising his line-up for their relegation six-pointer with QPR.

Alonso returned to Spain following the death of his grandfather and will contact Coyle today to let him know if he is in the right frame of mind to be involved.

Kevin Davies (knee) is fit again after a three-match absence and could be on the bench.

It barely seems credible that after opening their campaign with a four-goal trouncing of QPR, Bolton should approach the return with Coyle admitting his side are now scrapping for their lives.

Such are the fine margins that separate the Barclays Premier League's bottom five clubs at present that Coyle knows victory at the Reebok Stadium will see his side clamber up from their current position of second bottom and be out of the relegation zone altogether.

Nothing can be taken for granted. After all, Coyle's team might have beaten Liverpool in January but they also lost to fellow strugglers Wigan on their last outing on home soil.

As the finishing line draws nearer, so the anxiety will increase and the Bolton boss is calling on his side to make an impact now.

"This is the business end of the season," said Coyle.

"We have to understand what is involved in every game and this match provides us with an opportunity to move out of the bottom three.

"That is what we have to strive to do. We have to make sure we are at our best to get those points."

Djibril Cisse, Samba Diakite and Luke Young all return for QPR.

Striker Cisse and midfielder Diakite come back into the fold after suspension, while right-back Young is back in the squad after overcoming a hamstring injury.

Adel Taarabt is a doubt with a hamstring complaint of his own, while on-loan Federico Macheda is unavailable due to an ankle problem. Fitz Hall trained with the squad this week but manager Mark Hughes does not believe the defender will be ready for the game.

Manager Mark Hughes has highlighted the need for his side to get something from every remaining game if they are to stave off relegation.

The west Londoners languish 16th in the Barclays Premier League and are in serious danger of an immediate return to the second tier.

QPR have won just once in 15 games and face a tough final run of fixtures, with trips to Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City ahead of them.

"It is vitally important that we take something out of every game we play now," the Welshman said.

"They are the home team and they will want to put on a performance for their fans and make sure they're home form is strong and solid.

"We will have a say in that and will try and affect what they want to do in terms of their approach to the game and what they are comfortable in doing.

"We will try to limit their ability to how we want to play and with the ability I have in the squad, both creatively and the goal threat we have, I feel we will make chances and hopefully we will take some.

"It is never an easy place to go and everybody can see that, irrespective of where they are in the league at the moment.

"They are still a very difficult side to overcome on their patch so we will have to perform really well and if we build on what we produced against Everton I will be very happy because I think that will be good enough."



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