Oates returns as Mansfield Town seek revenge at Bolton Wanderers
Striker Rhys Oates returns from suspension for tonight's tough trip as Mansfield Town seek quick revenge at Bolton Wanderers (7.45).
Oates was sent off against the Trotters three games back in an unlucky 1-0 home defeat with boss Nigel Clough unhappy with the red card as he felt Oates had slipped, along with other decisions in the game.
Depleted Stags have since been lifted by an excellent 3-2 win at Barnsley on Boxing Day, which saw them come back from trailing 2-0 after only 13 minutes.
No team in the country can boast a longer unbeaten run at home than Bolton, who took their streak to 17 with a 2-1 win against Rotherham United on Friday.
Stags will be backed by over 1,200 away fans and Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher said: “Everyone has pretty much done the same thing against us here.
“Only a couple of teams have done something slightly different, but nobody has yet found a way to beat us. So long may that continue.
“Mansfield changed things for us at home but whether they do that again, I’ll have to watch their game at Barnsley back properly.
“But I know they went to Cardiff and pressed them man-for-man, I don’t know whether they will do that again for us.
“But whatever they do, we'll try to figure it out and break it down.”
Stags are still likely to be without nine key players tonight.
Bolton sit fourth in the table, 11 points ahead of 17th-placed Stags, who lifted themselves out of the drop zone with the win at Oakwell.
A very tight table sees Barnsley in ninth, but just four points clear of the relegation places.