PHIL Parkinson is determined not to let Wanderers’ embargo issues wreck the club’s chances of success this season.

With less than a week to go before the big kick-off against Leeds United, the Whites boss is still looking to strengthen his squad despite being shackled by a restrictive EFL salary cap and being unable to pay fees.

Parkinson wants two more players on board before Sunday’s televised clash – most likely West Ham loan pair Josh Cullen and Reece Burke.

And while the odds are seemingly stacked against Wanderers while they remain in a transfer embargo, Parkinson says the adversity can galvanise the players and the fans and improve their chances in the Championship.

“If we have to go into the season with the mentality that it’s us against the world, and we’re the underdogs, then so be it,” he told The Bolton News.

“The salary cap thing is difficult for me to comment on because it’s unfathomable how they (the EFL) came to it. I’m going to stay out of that debate for now.

“But it does mean myself and Ken, the chairman, we have got to be smart in the way we do our business. There are a lot of restrictions being put on us but we are willing to meet them head on.”

Wanderers want highly-rated Hammers Cullen and Burke, who featured for the Premier League side in a pre-season friendly against Werder Bremen on Friday.

But despite the tightening of regulations for clubs in embargo, they remain hopeful other deals can be done.

Speaking after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Stoke City in their final friendly warm-up, Parkinson said news of more stringent transfer restrictions, which broke last week, has made the squad even more determined to succeed.

“There are a couple of deals which are getting closer to being done,” he said. “It’s well-documented the challenges we face.

“Teams who have got millions to spend still find it tough to get players in. We need to be a little smarter in some ways.”