NEIL Lennon could be forced into finding emergency cover after losing Zach Clough, David Wheater and Kevin McNaughton to long-term injuries.

The Wanderers boss was left cursing his luck during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Reading after seeing three players leave the pitch before half time.

Prodigious striker Clough has dislocated his shoulder and will definitely be out of action until pre-season – but last night there was major concern over whether Wheater (hamstring) and McNaughton (shin) would recover in time to feature in the final 11 games of the campaign.

All three players were scanned at hospital yesterday, with the club expected to announce the results this afternoon.

Their absence leaves Lennon desperately short, particularly in defence, and considering yet another move into the loan market.

“The situation we’re in at the moment is unbelievable,” he told The Bolton News. “It’s none in and three out, it’s ridiculous.

“We are hanging by a thread at the moment, in terms of players.

“We’ll have to move into the transfer market and try to get some loans in but I can only use five at a time.”

Clough, who leads the club’s scoring charts with six goals this season, suffered a dislocated shoulder after falling heavily under a challenge from Nathaniel Chalobah.

McNaughton was stretchered off when he caught a stray boot from Reading full-back Jonathan Obita as he attempted to clear the ball near the corner flag. It is feared he may have fractured his leg.

And Wheater hobbled off with a hamstring problem – with all three injuries described as “long term” by Lennon in his post-match press conference.

Wanderers have a week to try and get the likes of Andy Lonergan, Adam Bogdan, Craig Davies and Filip Twardzik fit again before facing local rivals Blackburn Rovers in the Lancashire derby at Ewood Park.

Lennon was still smarting from Jamie Mackie’s late goal, which denied his side a victory on Tuesday night that would have put them into 14th place in the Championship table.

“In the end it felt like we lost the game rather than a draw,” he said.

“We deserved three points on the night and we proved we’re moving in the right direction, I think, but we should be five points better off when you consider the games against Reading, Watford and Wolves. That would have been more than comfortable.

“We’re not learning in that respect. It wasn’t like I could have changed it on Tuesday night because I’d used all my substitutes up by half time. I couldn’t change the formation because we were playing with two wingers and causing Reading problems.

“But we were the better team and that gives me a lot of encouragement going forward.”