ACCORDING to TV pundit Gary Neville, Wanderers and other clubs affected by Covid should “get on with it” – and suffice it to say, Ian Evatt has a differing opinion.

After postponing their previous three games because of virus outbreaks in the camp, Bolton cannot currently request that Saturday’s game at Rotherham United is called off as they have 14 senior players, including a goalkeeper, who can lace up a pair of boots.

But the longer-term effect of the virus on players who have legally reported back for duty at Lostock this week has been an eye-opener. And though word from the club is that the game will still go ahead, optimism on the training ground has waned as the full impact on the squad became apparent in the last few days.

Neville had said on social media earlier this week: “The PL and EFL (in particular) have got to stop these cancellations unless in exceptional circumstances. Each club has 40-50 players including youth team as a minimum. If it’s the carabao cup or EFL trophy they find a team without fielding the first 11. Get on with it.”

The former England international, a major shareholder at League Two Salford City, is not necessarily on the same page as the Bolton boss, who has seen more than 20 of his players and backroom staff hit hard by Covid in the past three weeks.

Asked if ‘playing the kids’ was an option, he told The Bolton News: “Number one we are a category three academy and there is no Under-23s, it’s Under-18s. the gap between that level of football and first team is ginormous.

“The kids we have got are just not ready for the first team. So, yes, we can roll them out there but going back to the spirit of the competition, the fairness argument, if we put a youth team out against Rotherham on Saturday and Wigan play us in a few weeks when everyone is fit and we’ve had chance to recruit in January, I’m guessing that Wigan would feel it is unfair because it has given Rotherham a better chance of getting three points.

“It is a non-starter for me, that argument. We have squad sizes and limits at the start of the season and once those players are not available to play – through no fault of our own, by the way – then I feel that games should be postponed.”

The EFL has now confirmed that testing on the day of a game will no longer be required, meaning that if Wanderers’ players are cleared with Friday’s round of tests they should be cleared to play at Rotherham.

Evatt insists the games which have already been cancelled by the Whites are not deliberate.

“It is a crazy world. Nobody wants this – I certainly don’t want my players off with Covid, especially with the condition they have returned in. It is not good at all.

“None of us have asked for it but we can’t be so rigid in our rule making.

“Provided nobody is taking the Mickey out of the system and can prove and back up what you are saying – and we can because we are taking EFL PCR tests. They know who is positive and who is not.

“We have to be open-minded. I am really sorry to the opponents, really sorry to both sets of fans, but there is nothing we can do.”

Wanderers may well face a backlog of fixtures in the final few months as a result of their Covid problems but, much like last season, Evatt is not concerned by the prospect of playing twice a week provided his players are fit to do so.

“I don’t mind playing Saturday-Tuesday for the rest of the season provided my team and squad are fully fit and healthy,” he said.

“That is what football is – sometimes you have to be robust and be ready to play those extra games but we are not just talking about football here, it’s the whole world, the economy, people’s lives.

“It is hard to be so strict with he rules set in this industry at the moment. The most important thing to me is that my players are fit and healthy and able to do their jobs.

“We need to be careful with the rules around the virus. Having a set number of players is all well and good but if some of them have just returned from Covid and are struggling with their breathing, what happens? Are they available to play, well, yeah? Are they fit enough to play and do themselves justice, or risk injury? Definitely not.

“So what are we doing here? That is how I feel.”