Cup fever infects Allardyce

Sam Allardyce admits he is suffering from a touch of cup fever – and is loving it.

The Bolton manager is looking for his side to progress to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup tonight at the expense of Southampton.

Allardyce’s team overcame holders Liverpool at Anfield in the last round and are in a rich vein of form, having won four out of their last six league games.

“The last thing we want to do after such an enormous performance there is throw that away,” he said.

“It is very important for me and the players that we progress. We have got to have a go and try and eventually get to the final.

“The points the team have gained in recent games has given us a little bit of a cushion.

“It means we can concentrate on this competition a little more now and we want to go all the way.

“The players prefer to play in the cup rather than rest, but I will to look at the situation, knowing we have some vital games coming up.

“I know it is always difficult against Southampton as they are very fit and very well organised.”

Allardyce has been boosted by the news captain Jay-Jay Okocha will be available until early January.

The Bolton boss feared losing his Nigerian skipper on Friday for a training camp ahead of the Africa Nations Cup.

But now Nigerian Football Association officials have relented, leaving Okocha free to face Arsenal on Saturday, then Liverpool and Leicester before the new year.

The gifted midfielder will then depart shortly after the match against Manchester United on January 7.

Allardyce said: “The Nigerian FA have looked at the position and looked at the amount of time they were going to take the players away at such a crucial period.

“They have been more lenient – and to be perfectly honest they’ve had to be.

“They couldn’t really demand that time and they couldn’t really go to FIFA and say they wanted the players. It was far too much time before a tournament.

“The Nigerians have eased back and my understanding is he will miss the European camp and leave around January 9. We know we will have to let him go.”