BOLTON manager Gary Megson will check on the fitness of Ricardo Gardner and Danny Shittu ahead of the trip to Middlesbrough.

The pair were away on international duty with Jamaica and Nigeria respectively this week.

Joey O’Brien definitely misses out with a thigh injury but Megson hopes Ebi Smolarek and Gretar Steinsson will be available after illness and injury.

Ahead of the game Megson spoke of his admiration for the youth set-up at Boro, aand admitted the Bolton struggle in that area.

Megson said: “One of the issues we have at this football club is the academy and I can’t see too many being ready for the first team for a while.

“Jimmy Phillips has come in with a brief and hopefully he can achieve that.

“But in this area it’s probably as hard as it could be anywhere in the world.

“We are stuck in between Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton and even Crewe.

“A lot of players go to Crewe because they know they will get the opportunity to play and then move on.

Competition

“In the north west, it’s really, really difficult getting young players into the team because there is such competition.

“I would have thought that’s the case in London as well.

“In Middlesbrough, I’m not sure that’s the case.

“You have Newcastle and Sunderland close by but, aside from that, there is not a huge amount.”

Megson admits he is an admirer of Middlesbrough and paid tribute to Southgate’s desire to blood youngsters.

“They have got some good ones there - the likes of Wheater, Taylor and Downing is probably the most famous one,” said Megson.

“Gareth has done well and I think he’s got one of the best chairmen in the country in Steve Gibson.

“The club looks really solid in terms of the way that it’s run.

“There are no knee-jerk reactions to problems when it’s not going particularly well.

“On the other side of the coin, there is no shouting from the rooftops when it is going well.

“They are ticking along quite nicely. I saw them against Everton last week and they did well.”

Emanuel Pogatetz and Mido have both been passed fit for Middlesbrough.

Skipper Pogatetz missed Austria’s mid-week friendly due to a knee injury while top scorer Mido has been sidelined for two matches due to a groin condition. The Egyptian could replace the out-of-sorts Afonso Alves in Gareth Southgate’s starting XI.

Jeremie Aliadiere has recovered from the illness which forced him out of last Sunday’s draw at Everton and is likely to replace Julio Arca. Centre-back Chris Riggott (hamstring) is out and David Wheater is expected to replace the in-form defender.

Middlesbrough (from): Turnbull, Hoyte, Taylor, Wheater, Pogatetz, O’Neil, Digard, Aliadiere, Downing, Mido, Tuncay, Jones, Grounds, Arca, Walker, Emnes, Johnson A, Alves.

Bolton Wanderers (from): Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, A O’Brien, Samuel, Nolan, Riga, McCann, Muamba, Gardner, Taylor, Davies, Elmander, Al Habsi, Shittu, Smolarek, Basham, Cohen, Fojut.

Boro league form: DWDWD

Bolton league form: LLWWL

Key opponent: Alves - Dangerous forward will punish Bolton if given the chance

Prediction: Boro 1 Bolton 1 - A tough, tight game is likely but Bolton should emerge from it with a point

Agree with the prediction? Have your say.

You can get 17/2 on Bolton winning 1-0 with Betfred. For this and more odds, click here.

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