DID YOU KNOW?
* Bolton have lost their last two matches, but both games were away from home. However, Coyle’s men have not lost in their last six matches at the Reebok Stadium and beat Arsenal in their last home game.
* Bolton are a confident side at home this season. They have won the most games at home of any team outside of the top five. Coyle (pictured right) has seen his side average just under two goals per game at home this season and they have only been beaten twice on their own patch.
* Sunderland are unbeaten in the last four meetings between these two sides, and they have taken all three points in the last three games.
* They have met 142 times in their history, with the Black Cats winning 61, Bolton 49 and 32 draws. Sunderland have scored 237 goals against Bolton, with the north-west side only managing 193.
* Sunderland have not won away from home in last their five attempts, and they have only won once in last 10 matches. They are still not mathematically safe from relegation, but they are six points clear of the bottom three.
* With all four strikers on the sidelines Sunderland will have to rely on other members of their squad to win games for them, but this will be a big ask because their strikers have scored all but 12 of the 39 goals they have scored this season. And to make matters worse for the travelling supporters, Bruce’s men average less than a goal a game away from home this season.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Bolton Wanderers (4-4-2)
Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Wheater, Robinson; Lee, Muamba, Cohen, Petrov; Elmander, K Davies.
Owen Coyle continues to be without influential midfielder Stuart Holden, full-back Sam Ricketts and midfielder Sean Davis, while on-loan striker Daniel Sturridge is also a doubt with the foot problem that kept him out of the defeat at Blackburn. Jussi Jaaskelainen is set to return after Adam Bogdan came in for the Ewood Park trip.
Sunderland (4-5-1)
Mignolet; Onouha, Turner, Mensah, Bardsley; El Mohamady, Cattermole, Colback, Henderson, Muntari; Sessegnon.
Steve Bruce has massive injury problems and he goes into this game with no fit strikers available to him. And Asamoah Gyan, Danny Welbeck, Frazier Campbell and Ryan Noble are all long term casualties so Bruce will have to cope without them for the remaining games of the season. Kieran Richardson and goalkeeper Craig Gordon are also unavailable for the Black Cats, who are trying to get the end of the season as quick as possible.
Prediction
Bolton’s home form has been strong this season, and after defeat to Blackburn Owen Coyle will demand better from his side so that their season does not end with a whimper. Sunderland will also be keen to end their season on a high, especially after defeat to Fulham, but Steve Bruce’s lack of striking options will make it very difficult for them. Bolton should be too strong for the Black Cats and will continue their good home form to run out easy winners in this one.
Bolton 2-0 Sunderland 
