PHIL Parkinson has banned talk of wages and Ken Anderson as his side try to drag Millwall back into the Championship relegation scrap.

Not for the first time this season, the build-up to an important game has been swamped by financial problems, this time emanating from the controversial owner’s attempts to sell the club.

The training ground was temporarily closed, a staff strike was averted and the game itself only went ahead after Bolton Council was assured the stadium would be safe.

Such distractions have been a common occurrence for Parkinson in 1,001 days at the helm but the Bolton boss has warned his players that nothing but total focus will be tolerated at the UniBol this afternoon.

“We haven’t got to ‘try’ and push things behind us, we ‘have’ to push everything behind us and concentrate on this game,” he said. “It’s a huge one for us and we’ve got the opportunity to pull Millwall right back into the relegation battle whereas a few weeks ago they were probably thinking they were out of it.

“They are away in midweek, we’re at home, so this is a real opportunity.

“We need everyone focussed on the job from the minute they wake up. I don’t want any talk about money, wages, anything, just focus on what we have got to do.

“We have had several meetings but in fairness to the lads when they have been on the training pitch in the weeks, months and years this thing has progressed, they have been excellent.”

Millwall start the day eight points ahead of Wanderers and three places above them in the table. They are familiar foes for Parkinson over the last few years, which could come as some solace in a week where preparation has not been ideal.

“They are building it up as a huge game because they know they will be looking over their shoulder,” he said.

“We know what Millwall bring to the party, we played them last season and in the promotion year and it will be a physical encounter.

“The team that concentrates, defends their box and attacks the ball in the opposition box the best will win the game.

“We have to make sure we are strong enough to match that element of their game.”

Wanderers will be without Jason Lowe, Craig Noone and David Wheater through suspension and the manager himself will be watching from the TV gantry after the FA issued him with a two-game touchline ban.

Noone’s suspension is particularly galling for the Bolton boss, who maintains his winger should not have been given a red card in last week’s defeat at Swansea.

“What I am unhappy with is this week I had an FA hearing and obviously I had to accept the charge because I did leave the technical area, along with every other member of both benches. The FA go to all the trouble of having a hearing, watching the video, everything. I got fined and suspended for two games from the technical area.

“Both bookings are very harsh for Craig Noone, especially the second which is never a yellow, he should have stayed on the pitch.

“With all the money the FA have got you are not telling me they couldn’t employ a referee on a Monday morning to come and look at just the second bookings which lead to a sending off and rescind the ones they don’t think should have stood.

“In this day and age, with all the technology and VAR at the top level, surely it is an option?”