Bolton Wanderers' forward, Max Clayton, has expressed his disappointment in not being able to feature alongside Zach Clough until late on in the campaign.

Clayton is keen to play alongside Clough
Clayton is keen to play alongside Clough

The former Crewe Alexandra striker returned to first-team football on Saturday after he was forced to the side-lines for 9-months after sustaining an ACL injury in November of last year.

Despite speaking about his delight about being back on the field, he also talked about how he was disappointed that he will not be able to play with Wanderers' starlet, Zach Clough, until towards the end of the season, he told the Bolton News.

“Last season we seemed to lose a lot of good players at the wrong times and this time I think losing Zach is a particular blow because I’ve never played with him,”

“That’s a real kick in the teeth for me because he’s a great footballer and I look forward to him getting fit again."

He returned at a crucial moment for the Whites, after injuries had left Neil Lennon with only an out of form Gary Madine at his disposal for their home tie against Brighton.

Clayton played 80 minutes for the Trotters in the fixture, with Lennon admitting that he wouldn't have played him if he had other options available to him.

“I might have had him on the bench and then brought him on with 15-20 minutes to go.", the former Celtic boss admitted to the Bolton News.

“But knowing we were light in attack and feeling that it was a game I felt we could take something from, I put him in there to see what he could do. Obviously, I’m delighted with the results. I thought there was more about us with him in the team.”

The Trotters currently sit in 21st position in the Sky Bet Championship, having accumulated eight points from nine league games.

Lennon's side face a match against Queens Park Rangers in their next Sky Bet Championship clash on Saturday, in a game which Bolton will be keen to win, to help propel them up to the higher echelons of the division.

Bolton Wanderers fans..... What do you make of this news? How important is Zach Clough? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!