Sporting Lisbon Preview

By Mark Heys
March 11 2008

Bolton Wanderers manager Gary Megson will make a number of changes for the clubs trip to the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Thursday evening when they take on Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of their last sixteen encounter in the UEFA Cup.

Both sides shared out a 1-1 draw at the Reebok Stadium just under a week ago and the tie is evenly poised with a place in the Quarter Finals of the competition at stake.

Bolton have a relegation battle with local rivals Wigan Athletic to think about this weekend and as such a number of players on the fringes of the first team squad could get a run out in Portugal.

Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen looks likely to be ruled out for the Wanderers after suffering with a hamstring injury sustained in the warm up during the tie at the Reebok so Oman stopper Ali Al-Habsi keeps his place between the sticks.

Skipper Kevin Nolan is also a doubt with a back injury having missed the first leg and forward Kevin Davies may be one of the more senior players to sit out the game.

El-Hadji Diouf returns from suspension at a time when first leg hero Gavin McCann begins a one match ban giving manager Gary Megson some serious decisions to make.

Sporting lost to Vitoria Guimaraes, a side who Bolton faced in this competition two years ago, at the weekend but they remain in high spirits going into their second match against the Wanderers.

They have an impeccable home record and are hoping to welcome back their top striker Leidson after he missed the first leg through injury last week.

LAST TIME WE MET:

06/03/2008 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (McCann) SPORTING LISBON 1 (Vukcevic)

BOLTON WANDERERS: Ali Al-Habsi, Nicky Hunt, Gary Cahill, Andy O'Brien, Ricardo Gardner, Joey O'Brien (Danny Guthrie), Ivan Campo (Andranik Teimourian), Gavin McCann, Kevin Davies, Heidar Helguson (Stelios Giannakopoulos), Matthew Taylor

SUBS NOT USED: Jlloyd Samuel, Abdoulaye Meite, Ricardo Vaz-Te, Ian Walker (GK)

SPORTING LISBON: Rui Patricio, Fernando Abel (Leandro Romagnoli), Antonio Tonel, Anderson Polga, Leandro Grimi, Miguel Veloso, Marques Bruno Pereirinha, Joao Moutinho, Marat Izmailov (Pereira Gladstone), Simon Vukcevic, Rodrigo Tiui (Adrien Silva)

SUBS NOT USED: Pedro Silva, Milan Purovic, Pontus Farnerud, Vladimir Stojkovic (GK)

PLAYED FOR BOTH:

Mario Jardel

DID YOU KNOW?

Matthew Taylor, Gary Cahill and Heidar Helguson have all tasted their first involvement within this competition since moving to Bolton.

Should Bolton make the final of the UEFA Cup then they wont have to travel far as it is being held at Manchester City's home ground - the City of Manchester Stadium.

Bolton have yet to lose against Portuguese opposition and have lost just once in their European history.