WANDERERS will welcome back former favourites Tim Ream and Andy Lonergan when Fulham visit the Macron Stadium but boss Neil Lennon hopes they leave with nothing to cheer.

Both players left Lennon's squad for Craven Cottage in the summer – Ream after picking up a second successive Player-of-the-Year award.

And the manager says they were important players for him last season.

But Lennon's full focus today is on sending the pair back to west London disappointed.

And while he is also a fan of Fulham's front line of Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembele, the Whites boss believes the final Championship clash before Christmas is a winnable one for his side.

Lennon told The Bolton News: "Tim was very consistent for us for a number of years and Andy had a good spell with us last season.

"It will be nice to see them again and nice to wave them off again with us having the three points.

"Our former players may tell their head coach about the characters of some of our players, but Stuart (Gray) will know the majority of our strengths and weaknesses before he goes into the game anyway.

"They are a bit Jekyll and Hyde.

"Obviously they have had a change of manager or coach and their form has fluctuated.

"McCormack is proven at this level and Dembele is young and hungry and talented.

"They have quite a partnership going already and they will have to be watched.

"McCormack is one of the best strikers in the division, if not the best.

"But I think with us being at home and off the back of a good performance on Tuesday, it’s a real test for us to win the game.

"I say it every week but it’s winnable for us and there’s an opportunity if we can win it not only to put a smile back on faces but to get back in touch with people.

"It’s a big game in the context of our season.

“Hopefully we will get a few people through the gates and it would be great to round off the week going into Christmas with a good win.”

Lennon looks likely to hand Zach Clough another start after his successful return from injury at Charlton on Tuesday.

Skipper Darren Pratley is also back in contention after mild concussion kept him out at The Valley.

But Lennon will leave it late on whether midweek scorers Josh Vela and Emile Heskey will figure.

Vela faces a late fitness test after a knee injury forced him off against the Addicks while Heskey's recovery is being monitored but Shola Ameobi (groin) remains absent.

Lennon added: "We will test Josh to see if he’s fit but Darren Pratley will come back in to the squad because he has got over his mild concussion.

"Zach felt a bit stiff after Tuesday's game which is understandable but he is okay though.

"Shola is still struggling with a groin strain so he won’t make the weekend.

"Emile played well, led the line brilliantly and deserved his goal.

"We will have to see how he is and how his recovery has been since Tuesday and whether he will be able to start."

Meanwhile, young Whites stopper Ross Fitzsimons has joined National League South side Bishop’s Stortford on a 28-day loan deal.

Fitzsimons, whose Whites contract runs out next summer, will go straight into Stortford’s squad for their game at Weston-super-Mare today.