WANDERERS have been dealt another blow on the eve of their trip to Exeter City with the news new signing Declan John could be out for a month with a hamstring injury.

The Wales international, whose loan from Swansea City was only confirmed at the end of last week, broke down in the final minutes of a training session this morning.

That comes on the same day that Luton Town exercised their right to recall Peter Kioso from a loan spell, leaving Bolton without two potential starting wing-backs at St James Park.

“It never rains but it pours,” said Bolton boss Ian Evatt. “We will have to see how the injury settled and we’ll get him scanned. But it happened with literally two minutes of training left.”

John had impressed during Wanderers’ 10-day break and shown that he was ready to go straight into action in League Two.

But Evatt will have to resort to plan B, leaving the 25-year-old wing-back waiting for his first competitive game in 12 months.

“It is frustrating and we’re all frustrated,” Evatt added. “The big thing we said when he came in last week was that we understood he’d been playing and training with the Under-23s but this is a whole new level of intensity.

“We needed to manage his body and he had to be honest with us and let us know if he was feeling anything untoward.

“Last week we did multiple murderball sessions, which are as tough as it gets. They are tougher than games and that’s why we do them. He came through them with flying colours and looked great.

“Then, the day we tone things down ready for the game tomorrow, with two minutes to go, he pulls his hamstring.

“That’s football. We think a lot of him and hopefully it isn’t as bad as we fear. But it seems it’s in a generally good place for hamstring injuries, right in the belly of the muscle, so we can hopefully get him back as soon as possible.

“He has looked great and the lads will miss the quality he brings but it is an opportunity for someone else.”

Evatt is determined not to let the return of Kioso to Luton nor the absence of John get his side down ahead of their game at Exeter.

“Football at times is extremely challenging and it’s easy for you to sit and feel sorry for yourself,” he said. “We have spoken at length for a long time about the pandemic and the effect it is having on life, not only the football.

“And when you think you have freshened up with new bodies and kept hold of the ones you wanted to keep hold of, that changes overnight as well.

“It is what it is. It’s the life of a football manager but we have to adapt and overcome.

“This gives someone else an opportunity so they have to go out there and grab their chance.”