DERIK Osede’s fate at Wanderers is not yet sealed, insists Phil Parkinson.

Although the former Real Madrid man is one of a handful of fringe players whose future at the Macron is being considered by the Bolton hierarchy, circumstances may have offered him a route back into the first team picture.

Derik scored in his first start for four months as the Whites bowed out of the FA Cup against Premier League Huddersfield Town on Saturday and his performance against top class opposition gave his manager a timely reminder of his worth to the squad.

Parkinson will be without skipper Darren Pratley for the next six weeks, Karl Henry for a fortnight and is unsure when - or if - he will be able to bring Josh Cullen back from West Ham United on loan.

That could force a change of heart on the 24-year-old, whose route to regular football now appears less obstructed.

“I have got a lot of time for Derik, he hasn’t given us a moment’s trouble,” he said. “He is a good person to have around because he can cover a few different positions.

“There are players who haven’t been playing and some of them might be leaving but I don’t think it necessarily means Derik is one of those players because he can comfortably cope with Championship players and showed against a Premier League team there he is a good player, even in a slightly unfamiliar role.”

Wanderers will contact West Ham today to see if Cullen and Reece Burke can resume their loan spell after they were both recalled for the Hammers’ FA Cup squad at Shrewsbury Town.

Parkinson is keen to bring the youngsters back in time to face Brentford at the weekend but it could hinge on David Moyes’ injury list shrinking in the next few days.

“Like ourselves, they have had a few knocks over the Christmas period,” he said.

“We have to wait on their decision afterwards, and see where we go from there.

“Our own recruitment is ongoing. We are working on several things to make the squad stronger because it needs to be, it is looking pretty threadbare right now.”