ANDY Tutte faces an extended spell on the side-lines for Wanderers after scans showed a serious tear in his hamstring.

Ian Evatt confirmed that the 30-year-old midfielder would be out of commission for the foreseeable future having limped out of the reserve team game against Accrington Stanley on Tuesday afternoon.

In better news, the Bolton boss also confirmed that Amadou Bakayoko and Xavier Amaechi are also moving closer to contention after stepping up their rehabilitation.

Bakayoko has missed the last six games after damaging his calf in the 1-0 win at Lincoln City, and Hamburg loanee Amaechi has not yet started a game for the club since breaking his metatarsal in a pre-season friendly against Preston North End.

“Andrew Tutte has had a scan and it looks like quite a bad injury we won’t know the extent until later on,” Evatt explained.

“Amadou is back on the grass running with us and Xav Amaechi has been back on the Alter-G treadmill today, which helps you run with less bodyweight, which he came through well.

“Harry Brockbank is almost back as well, so we’re improving.”

It is not yet known whether Declan John will be fit enough to return to challenge Liam Gordon for a spot on the left side of the defence.

The Welshman has not been available for the last three games through illness but Evatt has previously claimed there is no long-term concern and that it was not a Covid-related issue.

Despite sitting third in the table and hammering Ipswich Town 5-2 last weekend, the Wanderers boss says he is still not entirely happy with the campaign to date.

“I am satisfied rather than happy,” he said. “I feel like we have left some points out there.

“We feel like we could be top of the league, but we’re not. There is lots to work and improve on but it has been a decent enough start.

“Cambridge away was a frustration, Burton at home was a frustration, for completely different reasons. Cambridge was self-inflicted, Burton wasn’t, and the least said about that the better.

“Being 3-1 up at Wimbledon and then conceding two quick goals was very poor, so I am guessing every team can look back and say they have dropped points but us more than most.

Despite those short-term annoyances, Evatt reiterated that he feels his side can go up this season.

“We have got a chance, but it is only a chance,” he said. “We are not the finished article by any means. But for now, we want to dream, we should have high hopes. It’s a place that has under-achieved for too long and we want to get it back to where it belongs.”