A preview of today's game at Oakwell.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Barnsley(4-3-3): Cooper; de Gevigney, Watson, Shepherd, Earl, Ogbeta; Phillips, Connell, Yoganathan; Keillor-Dunn, McGoldrick, Vickers.
Bolton (4-2-3-1): Sharman-Lowe; Dacres-Cogley, Toal, Johnston, Conway; Sheehan, Simons; Cozier-Duberry, Randall, Gale; Burstow.
TEAM NEWS
Barnsley: Out injured: Fabio Jalo, Georgie Gent, Marc Roberts. Injury doubts: Mael de Gevigney.
Bolton: Out: Kyle Dempsey, Victor Adeboyejo. Injury doubt: Sam Dalby, Richard Taylor. Suspended: Sam Inwood.
REFEREE
Leigh Doughty
The official has awarded four penalties in games involving Barnsley.
He gave two against them in their 4-0 final day defeat at West Brom in 2022, including one very controversial decision against Clarke Oduor, and another disputed spot-kick conceded by Brad Collins at Stoke earlier that season.
He also gave Barnsley a penalty the first time he refereed the Reds, at home to Bristol City in 2020, when Michael Sollbauer was knocked out by an aerial challenge in injury-time and Cauley Woodrow converted for a 2-2 draw.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Marc Iles, Bolton News
Last season was a disaster for Bolton because, from very early on, it was not working and lots of things were going on behind the scenes.
Ian Evatt had been there a long time, had success but it had just got to the end of his working life.
Steven Schumacher inherited a squad that wasn’t his and a style that wasn’t his.
There has been a turnover in the summer. The team has a more energetic, dynamic, counter-attack style now.
It’s still a work in progress.
They missed a lot of chances on the opening day at Stockport and probably didn’t deserve to lose then they were brilliant against Plymouth.
In the team that went to Barnsley in April, there were some players who had finished playing for Bolton and it was a lot of players’ last game.
Barnsley hammered them but it’s a completely unrecognisable team now.
KEY QUESTIONS
CAN REDS ATTACK MAINTAIN FINE START?
Davis Keillor-Dunn has so far followed up his Player of the Year debut season with two goals in two league games this campaign.
That is despite being on the wing rather than up front like last season, with impressive new signing David McGoldrick in the middle of the front three. McGoldrick and Caylan Vickers opened their accounts on Saturday and, with Reyes Cleary offering firepower off the bench, the Reds have a promising attack.
They will probably come up against Bolton stalwart centre-backs Eoin Toal and George Johnston as well as Chelsea loanee goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe.
WHO WINS THE MIDFIELD BATTLE?
Barnsley’s midfield stars Adam Phillips and Luca Connell have looked back to near their best in the opening games of the season, despite speculation over both of their futures in the final weeks of the window. Phillips has a goal and two assists while Connell looks rejuvenated under Conor Hourihane, and they have formed an impressive midfield three so far in league games with teenager Vimal Yoganathan.
Bolton have Xavi Simons – not the Netherlands and RB Leipzig superstar but a summer signing from Hull – and Josh Sheehan who is a high-quality League One midfielder but has been forced into errors in the past by high-energy Barnsley midfields.
Bolton’s new signing, and former loanee with the Reds under 21s, Ethan Erhahon, has been making late cameos off the bench so far in the league.
WHO PLAYS IN BARNSLEY’S DEFENCE?
What Conor Hourihane decides to do with Barnsley’s back four could be crucial. Jack Shepherd is back available after suspension, so could replace either Josh Earl or Mael de Gevigney as a centre-back. Two left-footers in central defence in Earl and Shepherd might be unbalanced, while the alternative is to move de Gevigney back to right-back or bench him. The Frenchman gifted Burton the ball for the second goal on Saturday but Hourihane called criticism of him ‘nonsense’ and praised his attitude.
De Gevigney is also an injury doubt with a sprained ankle.
Earl could return to left-back or the Reds could stick with Nathanel Ogbeta who played 17 games on loan to Bolton last year.
They could come up against an attack spearheaded by Hull loanee Mason Burstow, who scored on Saturday, and supported by three attacking midfielders.
