Trotters face tough task

BOLTON manager Gary Megson has made no apologies for heading out to Lisbon with a second-string side. With Premier League survival the number one priority, the Trotters squad that travelled for the second leg of the last-16 tie tonight (8pm) was shorn of a number of stars.

Captain Kevin Nolan and Jussi Jaaskelainen missed last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw at the Reebok Stadium with back injuries and were among those that did not travel.

They were joined by Kevin Davies, Matt Taylor, Andy O’Brien, Ivan Campo, El Hadji Diouf and Ricardo Gardner. Gavin McCann is suspended and Tamir Cohen, Grzegorz Raziak and Gretar Steinsson are ineligible.

But Megson is far more concerned about Sunday’s relegation showdown at Wigan.

“The focus has to be on Sunday’s game. I have to think that way,” insisted Megson. “If we were in the top half of the table, and maybe out of the running for a Champions League place, then we would go out all guns blazing to try and win this competition.

“We are still trying to do that, of course, but we’re third from bottom in the league and in a precarious position. We’ve now got 10 games to preserve our Premier League status.

“There’s still a lot to play for, with 30 points up for grabs, and when we play and play well and we put a good shift in, then we are capable of beating anyone.

“We are capable of going there and scoring,” added Megson, whose side have to find the net to keep their hopes of progress alive.

“Although Lisbon are a quality side and we’ve a difficult hurdle to overcome in this second leg, we’ve faced quite a few difficult hurdles this season.

“When we faced Bayern Munich we did so without 10 injured players, yet still drew 2-2 against a team that last week beat Anderlecht 5-0 away.

“When we went to Belgrade we beat them 1-0, and on the following Sunday (ironically at home to Wigan) I made 10 changes and we won 4-1.

“That shows we’ve players who can come in and do a job.”