KEITH Hill says there will be casualties in the final week of the transfer window as he tries to improve his options at Wanderers.

Bristol Rovers come to the UniBol tonight with Bolton facing concerns over a handful of players who have reported ill in the last few days.

Jason Lowe, Joe Dodoo and Dennis Politic have all missed training sessions and are rated as doubtful for the game but Hill was able to add Will Buckley to his squad yesterday, with the midfielder signing a short-term deal until the end of the season.

The lack of competition within the Bolton squad has been a serious concern for Hill, even though he acknowledges his players have given maximum effort. Now, with just 23 slots in his embargo-affected squad, he must move players out before Friday’s deadline to bring in fresh options.

Asked whether players have taken a starting place for granted, he said: “That’s the harsh reality but it’s a sad way to reflect it.

“It’s probably not exactly the right way. There’s a lot of dignity on that training pitch, the desire to do better and improve, to represent BWFC. It’s not a group of players who are here for the sake of it.

“There are certainly players here who know I have been trying to move them on since the word ‘go’ since I got to the club. Some of those players are still on the training pitch, which is making it difficult for me to bring players in.

“We want players who make us stronger, make us better, but the ramifications of the embargo are still evident every single day with respect to me trying to recruit, release, recruit, release.

“It isn’t a question of me falling out with players. I give them due respect. But players who are not wanted have to leave.”

Connor Hall was loaned out to Chorley last week, Hill explaining the decision as a “footballing decision.”

He said: “He hasn’t played for us and I need players who will,” he said. “He had other opportunities to go out and hasn’t gone out. Nothing is personal.”

Wanderers do have room in their budget and embargo quota for new signings but Hill has hinted that it could be a busy few days in both directions.

“It’s difficult,” he said. “It will happen, though, definitely. We have to make sure that the squad gets better and there are certain players I am going to develop, and we’re seeing the shoots of that development, but there are some who will definitely have to leave so we can get others in.

“It’s not a question of one-in, one-out. Within the embargo and the financial restrictions we’re within our budget on being able to recruit, so it’s just down to numbers now.

“We have to get numbers out on loan or numbers out on permanents. We have to work our magic in the market.”