Bolton Wanderers are looking to extend the loan deal of Xavier Amaechi from Hamburg, as the player continues his recovery from a broken foot sustained in pre-season, Ian Evatt told The Bolton News.

It has been an enterprising, free-scoring start to life in League One for the Trotters, scoring seven goals in the opening three games.

Free agent Elias Kachunga was signed to replace Amaechi's services in the squad, but Evatt is keen to extend the youngster's loan from Hamburg past January in order bolster their attacking ranks in the second half of the season.

The former Barrow manager has been impressed with Amaechi's attitude despite the setback.

Evatt said: "Talk about adversity, that kid has been through a lot. It has been a challenging time for him but he has stayed positive and looking to get back to fitness and a place in our first team, which is what we want.

"He was enjoying his time and I think he will again. He’s a fantastic young man and has a wise head on his shoulders.

"We hope he will be back before January and we’d like to keep him for longer but there are a lot of things that have gone into the deal." he added.

Bolton earned an excellent 1-0 win over 2020/21 play-off finalists Lincoln City in midweek and welcome Oxford United on Saturday, as they continue to adapt to the step up a division seamlessly.

The Verdict

Man management is clearly one of Evatt's strengths as a young manager, amongst many, and his handling of the Amaechi situation confirms that.

The former Arsenal youngster has had a difficult spell at Hamburg and the former Blackpool defender has given him an escape route, and therefore is determined to provide that platform for a while after the 20-year-old has recovered from the foot injury.

It is a credit to Evatt that there are very little relegation concerns about his ninth placed side, albeit just three games into the season, despite being a recently promoted team. The Trotters could well be a surprise package in pursuit of a top half finish this term.