LIAM Trotter returned to an uncertain future at Wanderers yesterday after failing to earn a permanent deal at Nottingham Forest.

The midfielder looked odds on for a January move to the City Ground until Forest were hit with another transfer embargo on Christmas Eve.

Dougie Freedman has now had to divert his available funds elsewhere as he looks to sign a left-back but has ruled himself out of a move for Dean Moxey – who is being targeted by Wolves and Bristol City.

The Scot could revive his interest later in the window but for now Wanderers are likely to tout Trotter’s name around the Championship to see if other clubs are willing to strike a deal this month.

“We’re not interested in seeing Trotter return right now,” ex-Whites boss Freedman said. “We have different priorities for now. In that position we’re fine.”

Wanderers had been keen to get Trotter’s salary off their books as they continue to scale down costs.

The former Millwall and Ipswich ball-winner has failed to win over his critics at Bolton and a first-team reconciliation under Neil Lennon in the longer term looks unlikely. But the 27-year-old arrives back at the club having appeared in nine of the 13 games he spent at Forest on loan and could make the bench for this weekend’s FA Cup tie at Eastleigh.

But Wanderers are due to extend the loans of youngsters Oscar Threlkeld and Hayden White to the end of the season.

Threlkeld has found regular football in recent weeks at Plymouth Argyle as a holding midfielder while White has been a mainstay of Neil McDonald’s Blackpool in League One.

Meanwhile, it is all eyes to the skies at Saturday’s FA Cup opponents Eastleigh, with some doubt as to whether their pitch will be playable this weekend.

Saturday’s game against Bromley was called off for a waterlogged pitch and there have been reports of local flooding in the area.

A pitch inspection is expected to take place on Friday to ensure travelling fans are warned well in advance and the BBC are also due to record their Football Focus programme from the Silverlake Stadium.

Weather reports are starting to look more favourable and the National League club will make every effort to get the nearly sold-out game on.

Wanderers sold out their initial allocation and were given an extra 200 tickets, which had all-but gone by yesterday afternoon. They are currently expecting a travelling contingent of around 1,000 supporters.