GARY Madine and Andy Taylor ARE in contention to face Oldham Athletic on Saturday, The Bolton News understands.

Phil Parkinson is being ultra-cautious with two of his key players ahead of this weekend’s game at Boundary Park but word from within the Wanderers camp is that both injured stars are making good progress in training.

Taylor has missed the last few games with a calf tear and Madine withdrew at half time during last week’s 1-0 win at Southend United because of a shoulder problem.

Neither were involved at Scunthorpe on Saturday but could now make a well-timed comeback this weekend in a game which could all-but seal the Whites’ route back to the Championship.

Victory in two local derbies against Oldham and Bury would seal promotion at the first time of asking.

Oldham have been struggling against relegation for most of the campaign but since the appointment of ex-Whites midfielder John Sheridan for a second spell as manager in January they have managed a near-identical record in League One.

The Latics held Sheffield United to a 1-1 draw and beat Fleetwood 2-0 last weekend – which helped to preserve Wanderers’ seven-point advantage in second place.

But that will be the last favour Sheridan is looking to do for the Whites, with confident talk emanating from Boundary Park in the last few days.

“Outsiders might think Sheffield United, Fleetwood, Bolton, they’ll win at Oldham, but they need to realise that it’s not as easy as that,” said the former Republic of Ireland international, who was part of Colin Todd’s promotion-winning side in 1997.

“I don’t look at the league table. I look at the form we’ve shown since I came back, and we’re a top six side at this moment in my eyes - certainly the way we’re playing. I’ve just got to get that into the players, and the more you do that and keep winning games, the more confidence those players get.

“It’s massive for us at the moment. We are a hard team to play against right now.”