Bolton Wanderers squad number hint causes hopeful online stir | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers have revealed their squad numbers for the upcoming campaign, and there's new hope Johnny Kenny & Amario Cozier-Duberry could return

Bolton Wanderers have revealed their squad numbers for the 2026/27 campaign, and fans have been quick to point out a couple of key omissions.

The Trotters end their seven-year hiatus from the second tier next month when they host Preston North End in their Championship opener.

It's been a long, gruelling road to get back to this point, and the former Premier League regulars won't want their hard work to be immediately undone and suffer relegation at the first time of asking.

Indeed, following their last relegation from the Championship in 2019, Bolton have faced going out of business completely, have spent a campaign in League Two and have fallen in the third tier play-offs twice before finally getting over that hump last season, beating Stockport County at Wembley in the final.

It's been a somewhat frustrating summer transfer window so far for Wanderers fans, but their squad list for the new campaign has offered some much-needed hope.

Bolton Wanderers squad list leaves key numbers from previous loan stars unclaimed

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There are several traditional starting numbers left unassigned in Bolton's confirmed squad numbers list for the 2026/27 campaign, which gives optimism and expectation that some more big signings will be on the way in the next month.

Number two, number five and number nine haven't been taken just yet, inferring a new right-back, centre-back and striker will be through the door.

The latter is a given, as Bolton's only attacking addition thus far in the window is wideman Kyliane Dong, who joined on loan from Augsburg. Johnny Kenny is definitely atop the wishlist, following a successful loan spell from Celtic last season, and reports are stating that the Hoops will be willing to listen to permanent offers for the 23-year-old.

Kenny did wear the number nine shirt during his short-term spell at the Toughsheet, but any striker traditionally wears number nine. More crucially, number 19 has been left unassigned, too, the number that Amario Cozier-Duberry wore during his loan spell last season.

Last season's Players' Player of the Year shone on loan from Brighton, scoring 10 and assisting 10 in all competitions, and he netted the only goal in the play-off semi-final first-leg win against Bradford City.

How Bolton Wanderers fans have reacted to Johnny Kenny and Amario Cozier-Duberry's numbers being left unassigned

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Understandably, the fact that both Kenny and Cozier-Duberry's numbers are still left unassigned is filling Bolton fans with hope that they may be able to secure their services again this summer.

"9 and 19 are free...it's the hope that kills you," one Bolton fan said on X in the replies to the squad list. "Number 9 and 19 saved for two special people…" another added.

"Holding onto 19 and 9 are we?" a Trotters fan podcast commented, and one stated that Bolton may be "keeping that 19 for a certain someone," with a gif of Cozier-Duberry celebrating winning promotion at Wembley in May.

Bolton fans know who they want to see wearing those numbers next season, and they'll be in dreamland if one, or both, of Kenny and Cozier-Duberry can find their way back to the Toughsheet Stadium in the next month.

Johnny Kenny and Amario Cozier-Duberry would be real statements of intent for Bolton Wanderers this season

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Naturally, the League One play-off winners' main goal in the Championship is to stay in the division, as they are statistically the lowest-ranked side in the division, and can sometimes find it hard to convince ready-made second-tier stars to join their ranks.

In Kenny and Cozier-Duberry, though, Bolton had two Championship-quality attackers at the club while they were in League One, and having them in their squad in the second tier will automatically give them a good chance at establishing themselves in their first year back.

The Celtic frontman seems a little more attainable than the Brighton youngster, with Kenny seemingly surplus to requirements at Celtic Park following the £11 million arrival of Kasper Hogh.

Meanwhile, reports last week stated that Bolton would be fighting a losing battle to bring Cozier-Duberry back for a year, and both Rangers and Anderlecht have registered interest in the 21-year-old this summer. But, as long as that number 19 is available, there may be a chance.