WANDERERS are preparing to be without Andrew Tutte for the next three to four weeks.

It was confirmed by the club this morning that the 30-year-old midfielder suffered damage to his thigh during last weekend’s 3-0 victory against Southend United.

Tutte has started all six of Bolton’s league wins so far this season and has been on the losing side just once after featuring from the beginning of the game.

In the best-case scenario of a three-week absence, the Liverpudlian stands to miss this weekend’s home game against Port Vale, plus trips to Walsall and Cheltenham Town.

Wanderers then face Keith Hill’s Tranmere Rovers at the University of Bolton Stadium on December 19.

Ian Evatt has assembled a settled line-up in recent weeks, which has been a factor in a fine run of form that has taken the club to within touching distance of the play-offs.

Tutte’s central midfield partnership with club captain Antoni Sarcevic has run consistently through a string of five competitive victories, although Brandon Comley and Tom White started alongside each other in the 3-2 win against Newcastle United’s Under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy.

It now remains to be seen which midfield option Evatt selects to replace Tutte against Vale, with Ronan Darcy, George Thomason and Regan Riley also available.

It is understood that Wanderers will be without striker Shaun Miller until well after Christmas, with the former Crewe striker suffering a torn thigh muscle during a training session last week.

Meanwhile, former Wanderers academy graduate Tom Walker has joined Notts County on loan from Harrogate Town.

The 24-year-old has moved to the National League promotion-chasers until January and goes straight into the reckoning for Neal Ardley’s Magpies, who face Dagenham and Redbridge on Wednesday night.

Walker came through the ranks at Bolton from an early age and was handed his debut by Neil Lennon as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with Leeds United in January 2015.

In all, he made 20 first team appearances for the Whites, also enjoying a brief loan spell at Bury, scoring his first senior goal in a 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic two months after his debut.

After leaving Bolton, Walker played for two seasons at Salford City, helping the club to promotion from the National League North and into the EFL for the first time in its history.

He struggled for game time last season and had a loan spell at Stockport County before moving on to AFC Fylde and eventually signing for newly promoted Harrogate in the summer.

He played against Wanderers last month when Ian Evatt’s side beat Harrogate 2-1 in a game played at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium.

Wanderers have also confirmed that their December 29 game at home to Morecambe will now kick-off at 7pm.