Kieran Sadlier’s first league start of the season did not go according to plan but Ian Evatt has dropped a hint that he could yet have a future with Wanderers.

With the January window fast approaching, speculation has spread that Sadlier’s lack of first team football this season could lead to him moving on elsewhere.

Evatt sprung somewhat of a surprise by naming Sadlier in his starting line-up at Lincoln – his last league start having been all the way back in April.

Furthermore, Sadlier was used as a left wing-back ahead of Jack Iredale and Owen Beck, both on the bench, and Declan John, who was not named in the matchday squad at all.

Explaining the decision, Evatt said: “Kieran can play wing-back. We watched the opposition, as we always do, and because Regan Poole is more of a centre-back but is playing in that position, we didn’t really need the defensive responsibility, we needed more of an attacker.

“We thought that Sads could come in, create some width, get some crosses in that we could attack.

“It didn’t quite come to fruition in the first half, more so the second half, but look, he has been pushing, he has had the right attitude and he deserved the chance.”

Whilst Sadlier’s inclusion was good news for his future prospects at Bolton, John’s exclusion would seem to indicate he is on the unwanted list as the transfer window opens.

The former Wales international has started just three league games this season, the last being against Forest Green in October.

Evatt felt that both his wing-backs, Sadlier and Conor Bradley, struggled to make the impact he had hoped at Lincoln.

“Our wing-backs wanted to start drifting inside and taking up central pockets and also get on the scoresheet but against 10 men in particular it is important you keep the width to stretch the opposition out and create the spaces in between. You have to make them work harder to press and stay in control.

“But you don’t really create loads against 10 men when they are camped that deep, it is just about taking the chances that you have got. And we had two really good ones that we thought should have been taken.”