Bolton’s Sam Dalby could return at St Mary’s just as Southampton sweat on Downes
Sam Dalby is expected to return to Bolton’s attack on Saturday in place of Theo Bair, according to Sports Mole’s team news. Steven Schumacher may change little otherwise, after Bolton won 3-1 at Wolves on Tuesday to move clear of the relegation zone.
Dalby has scored 14 league goals for Bolton since joining in June 2025, across League One and this Championship season.
Southampton face Bolton Wanderers at St Mary's on the back of two clean sheets and two 1-0 wins. Tonda Eckert's side will hope to make it three wins in a row with another strong home performance ahead of a tough run of fixtures.
A Bolton squad uplifted
Chris Forino is out with a groin injury, Tuesday’s win at Wolves has lifted the squad, and Dalby is back in the frame.
Sports Mole’s predicted Bolton side also has Gavin Bazunu in goal, the goalkeeper who left Southampton for a permanent move to the Toughsheet Community Stadium at the end of August. He will know the dressing room at St Mary’s better than most visitors.
Downes and the middle of the park
Downes injured his ankle in the first half at Norwich, and Eckert described it as damage to the outside ligaments, which he said is usually the less serious kind. Downes had told him: “Strap me up, and I’ll play on Saturday," but with other options available, Eckert is unlikely to risk him.
If Downes is unavailable, Caspar Jander may well start for the first time this season. Jander dominated the midfield after coming on at Norwich.
Cameron Bragg is available again after his derby suspension, so Eckert has cover whichever way the ankle goes. The harder job belongs to the back four.
Daniel Peretz kept clean sheets against Portsmouth and Norwich, and at Carrow Road he made saves from Mathias Kvistgaarden and Jacob Wright. Jack Stephens helped deliver the first back-to-back clean sheets of the season, and he will be asked to do it a third time with Keven Schlotterbeck beside him.
Does a missing Downes change that? Probably less than the headline suggests. Dalby is a striker, and the first thing Bolton need from him is a reason for Southampton’s centre-backs to stay deep.
Jander and Downes are largely interchangeable, and whoever starts out of the two of them, Bolton will struggle to win many second balls.
Either way, the plan for Saturday is simple: keep the third clean sheet in a row and let the attackers do the rest. With Scienza rested, Fellows drooling, and Dobbin back in the squad, Bolton have every reason to be afraid.
