Steven Schumacher reveals Bolton Wanderers blow - ‘it isn't great news’ | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher has provided an injury update on Luca Stephenson and Akin Famewo.

Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher has revealed that his side will be missing summer signing Luca Stephenson for a few weeks.

It's been a good start for Bolton in their return to the Championship, as they have picked up a hugely respectable four points from their opening two matches of the campaign.

A victory over Preston North End on opening day and a 0-0 draw at QPR on Saturday left the newly-promoted side unbeaten early doors, which will come as a great boost of confidence to everyone connected with the club.

However, injury issues seem to have reared their ugly head for Schumacher early in the new season, with new defensive addition Stephenson picking up a thigh injury in the 2-1 win over Preston last week.

The Bolton boss has provided an update on the full-back's health to The Bolton News post—QPR, and it isn't what Trotters supporters would be hoping to hear.

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Wanderers have been busy in the transfer market this summer to get themselves up to standard for the Championship and remain in the division in their first season back since 2018/19.

It's fair to say they've done fairly well with their transfer business too, adding a good blend of experience and youthful exuberance into his promotion-winning squad.

Unfortunately, one of those new young additions, Stephenson, who joined from Liverpool in the summer, is now set to spend a few weeks on the sidelines after sustaining an injury against Preston, Schumacher confirmed.

Speaking to The Bolton News after his side's 0-0 draw with QPR on Saturday, Schumacher said: “It isn’t great news for Luca, really.

“He took a bang last week on the top of his thigh against Preston in that challenge and had to come off shortly afterwards.

“He just said that he'd felt a build-up of tightness in the game, so we had to go and get him scanned.

“He had a blood contusion, I think it's called, and had to have that drained last night.

“When he'd had a scan, he said there's a bit of damage in there as well, in the thigh, so he'll be out for a few weeks.”

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There was more concern for Bolton in Saturday's clash with QPR after fellow summer addition Akin Famewo had to be withdrawn at half-time with what was feared to be another defensive injury for the Trotters.

However, Schumacher told The Bolton News that he remains hopeful that the centre-back won't be added to the growing casualty list.

“It was just a collision,” he said.

“I think it might have been with Jack Bonham and he just banged his knee and swelled up a little bit at half-time.

“We sent him on a couple of minutes early at half-time and said it was too stiff, so he took him off.

“But hopefully that's not been serious, it's just a contact one, hopefully.”

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With injuries stacking up, the Wanderers boss has seemingly started to assess the depth of his current squad with just over a week of the summer transfer window left.

Schumacher wants his squad in the best possible stead to cope with injury issues throughout the season, and provided an update on recruitment ahead of the final week of the transfer window.

“This is what happens, you pick up injury, and that's why it's so important to try and have as strong a squad as possible, which I know right now we haven't got,” he told The Bolton News.

“We're trying our best to remedy that, especially players who are really capable of playing in this division.

“We've got numbers, but we've got a lot of inexperience as well.

“We've got young Toby Ritchie and Charlie Warren still in the squad, and we need to try and remedy that if we can.”