George Johnston hopes Wanderers can rise to the occasion against Cambridge in front of a bumper crowd at the UniBol.

The Whites have had to open up the South Stand lower tier to cope with demand as the club celebrates its latest ‘Family Day’.

Members of the Bolton squad are set to bring the Papa Johns Trophy out onto the pitch before kick-off.

Johnston, who made his first start since late January in the 1-0 win at Exeter, hopes they can keep building momentum in the play-off race.

“We know it is a quick turnaround but we are looking forward to that game,” said the defender.

“As the gaffer said, we have got a bit of a target on our backs now but we are going to rise to the pressure as we showed (against Exeter). There are seven massive league games to go until the end of the season.

“It will be a tough battle again. They are down at the bottom and fighting for everything, so it could be one of the tougher games this season in some ways.

“But the lads know there is going to be a big attendance and big atmosphere, so we want to go and put on a good performance for our fans.”

Johnston and his fellow defenders will have to step up while Ricardo Santos and Eoin Toal are out of action.

But the former Liverpool youngster is relishing the challenge heading into the business end of the campaign.

“Both Rico and Eoin have been massive for us this season,” he stated. “They can both play that middle centre-back role with ease and I have to play with slightly differently.

“I am not as big and powerful as those two lads so it is different, but I will get used to it the more I play there. It is a learning curve but I am enjoying it.”

Jones took on the captain’s armband against the Grecians, and Johnston is glad to have the versatile defender alongside him.

“He is a good talker on the pitch,” he explained. “He keeps communicating - especially when I said I was tired towards the end, he kept me going. He is a great player and a great person to have next to me.”