DAN Nlundulu is in prime condition should he be granted a Wanderers debut on Saturday at Derby.

Bolton fans got their first close look at the on-loan Southampton striker when he came off the bench to replace the injured Jon Dadi Bodvarsson during the 3-0 win against Portsmouth.

Ian Evatt described his display as “encouraging” and the Wanderers boss reckons Nlundulu’s regular football at Cheltenham Town in the first half of the season makes him an instant option should Bodvarsson’s ankle injury keep him out at Pride Park.

“Dan is right up to speed, and you can see he has been playing football week-in, week-out, because he is in great condition,” he told The Bolton News.

“He is reliable in possession. You can play it in to him and trust that he is going to bring other players into play.

“He has a bit of quality about him, I think you can see that when you watch him play, and he is a good option for us right now.”

Bodvarsson left the stadium wearing a protective boot on Saturday evening after rolling his ankle after landing awkwardly challenging for a header.

The 30-year-old has been in good form of late, and the club are hoping he will only be missing for a fortnight at most, but the player will undergo a scan once swelling around the joint has died down.

Another new signing who has shown swift progress is Randell Williams, who was brought in from Hull City having only started one league game in the Championship this season.

Evatt started him against Plymouth and Portsmouth and believes the wing-back’s natural fitness has helped him push on faster than most.

“Randell has shown some good touches, put in some excellent crosses so far, and I think that shows he is getting there,” he said.

“He has looked after himself extremely well and we are monitoring exactly what workload we place on him but I have been really happy with the way he has played so far, I think he has given us something extra.”

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