INJURED Wanderers defender David Wheater has a double dose of frustration to swallow this weekend.

Not only is he forced to sit out a homecoming when the Whites travel north east to take on his home-town club Middlesbrough today, but being sidelined means the 25-year-old will have to wait four months for his chance to impress new boss Dougie Freedman.

The Teessider has revealed he does not expect to be back in first-team action until the end of February at the earliest as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee ligament injury sustained in the penultimate game of last season.

He is progressing slowly but stresses there has been no setback; it is just an injury that takes time to recover from properly.

He remains positive about a full recovery, but that goes no way to cheering him up this weekend when he is forced to sit in the Riverside Stadium stands rather than be back on turf he knows so well.

Wheater said: “This was the one game I looked for and I was wishing it was after February time so I could play, but it wasn’t to be.

“Obviously, I want Bolton to win but it will be weird watching it really because I was there for so long.

“I was there from the age of seven until I was 23, so 16 years.

“If I was playing, the family would all want Bolton to win as well and probably still will, even though they are all Middlesbrough fans because they want me to get promoted out of the league.

“It’s doubly frustrating for me because a new manager has come in and I can’t show him what I can do apart from in the gym, and that’s not much at the minute.

“I think the plan is to do a bit of training by the end of December and then a few reserve games in January and February.

“It will probably be the end of February/beginning of March before I am in contention for first-team selection again.

“There hasn’t been any problems it just takes time.

“The doctor said it would be a nine-month injury though it is stated as between six and nine months.

“It is okay now but it needs strengthening because the muscle just completely went after the operation.”

Despite having to wait to impress Freedman, Wheater believes it is a positive appointment despite the Scot’s relative managerial inexperience at the age of 38.

Wheater was in the Boro side when Gareth Southgate made the transition from player to manager at the even younger age of 35 and does not think it will be any hindrance to Freedman.

He added: “I had Gareth Southgate (as manager) when he had just finished (playing) and it was stranger for him than us; he was managing friends.

“It will be a bit different for our new manager because he doesn’t know us as well.

“I have played against him a few times. He was a good player and has done well at Palace as manager.

“So if he can come here and do well it will be great.”