Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt has revealed that Dapo Afolayan suffered a shoulder injury during yesterday's clash with Gillingham.

The Trotters winger helped his side secure a point at the University of Bolton Stadium by scoring in the second-half of Saturday's showdown.

Gillingham took the lead in the 11th minute as John Akinde netted his first goal of the season.

Kyle Dempsey then doubled the Gills' advantage as he fired past Bolton goalkeeper Joel Dixon.

Afolayan reduced Bolton's deficit in the 86th minute before Kieran Lee netted a dramatic equaliser in stoppage-time.

Currently 12th in the League One standings, the Trotters will be hoping to get back to winning ways next weekend when they head to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth.

Evatt will be looking to call upon the services of Afolayan for this particular fixture as the winger has established himself as a key player for Bolton during the current campaign.

Making reference to the 24-year-old, the Bolton boss has admitted that he is hoping that Afolayan's issue with his shoulder is not too serious.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News following his side's 2-2 draw with Gillingham about Afolayan, Evatt said: "Dapo, I think his shoulder went out and then came back in again second half, so that shows where he's at, the way he finished the game and how went on to the end in probably a lot of pain.

"Hopefully we can make sure he's okay because he's a huge player for us."

The Verdict

When you consider just how impressive Afolayan has been during the opening stages of the 2021/22 campaign, it would be a significant blow for Bolton if the winger is forced to watch on from the sidelines in the coming weeks.

As well as scoring seven goals for the club in the third-tier, Afolayan has managed to provide his team-mates with two assists.

Currently averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.51 in League One, the former West Ham United man will be confident in his ability to cause Portsmouth problems next weekend if he is fit enough to feature in this fixture.

By maintaining his consistency at this level, Afolayan could potentially help his side launch a push for a top-six finish next year.