IT WILL not be a run of games that shapes Wanderers' destiny, but with so many points to be won or lost in a short space of time, the festive period is often believed to be a crucial one.

A shame, then, that the fixtures Phil Parkinson has been handed over the next few weeks will test his squad's mettle to the fullest.

Once today's home game against relegation battling Burton Albion is completed, Parkinson must turn his attention to taking on three sides with more than realistic promotion ambitions and a team that, last year, was dining at English football's top table.

Two days before Christmas Wanderers welcome Cardiff City to the Macron. The second-placed Bluebirds will, regardless of their home game against Hull this evening, continue to occupy the second automatic promotion place and challenge leaders Wolves.

Boxing Day brings an unenviable journey to the north-east and Middlesbrough, a side in eighth and on the fringes of the play-off picture.

Boro will be looking to close the gap to sixth place on current occupants Sheffield United, who will provide the Whites with their final opposition of the calendar year on December 30.

And, ahead of their FA Cup date at top-flight Huddersfield Town on January 6, the new year will kick off at the Macron when Hull, relegated from the Premier League last season, are the visitors.

The Tigers, it must be said, have not made a decent fist of trying to return to the top division but with new manager Nigel Adkins having started his tenure with victory over Brentford, they should not be under-estimated.

Mindful of the task awaiting him, and knowing his team perform far better when playing at a higher tempo, Parkinson admits he is likely to shuffle his pack in order to get the best from his players during what is almost certainly their toughest run of the campaign.

"Going into the Christmas period, if you look at the run of games we’ve got, I’ll be very surprised if every member of the squad doesn’t get some game time," he told The Bolton News.

"So we’ve all got to be ready and keep pulling together and giving everything we’ve got. If you go back to the Barnsley game there was some great footage of our players sprinting back into position and making tackles, and the midfield players getting around their key players quickly and then the other side with our players getting joy in one-v-one situations so there are a lot of good things happening but we need to keep improving, we know that.

"Burton, when they were in the First Division, were a team who ran really hard in every game, they fought for every ball, all over the pitch and, a bit like ourselves, with limited resources they’ve taken that quality into this season.

"This game is similar to the Barnsley game in that when we played them we needed to pull them back towards us and this game gives us an opportunity to try to open a gap over Burton, and that’s got to be our aim."

Wanderers may be the even-money favourites this afternoon, but are likely to go into the match without Adam Le Fondre, struck down with tonsillitis. There is, however, more hopeful news regarding Darren Pratley, who came off 10 minutes before the end of the 3-2 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

"Daz is a lot better," said Parkinson. "Typically, he wanted to play last week even though he had a problem with his knee. He probably wasn’t quite right.

“He has had a couple of days off it, so we’re more hopeful on that now."