Without eight senior players for last week's defeat at West Brom, the Trotters suffered another blow on Monday when young full-back Joe Riley tweaked a hamstring in training that is set to rule him out of Saturday's encounter with Everton at the Reebok Stadium. In addition, promising teenage midfielder Josh Vela has been ruled out for six to eight weeks after fracturing his ankle on reserve duty. Little wonder Coyle has been left bemoaning his luck as he plots a path out of the relegation zone. "I have never known anything like it in my football career," said the Scot. "It just seems to be one thing after another. "All we can do is see our way through it and make sure those who are fit are ready to give a big performance." Coyle's one crumb of comfort is that Dedryck Boyata might have recovered sufficiently from his ankle injury to face the Toffeemen. When Boyata sustained the problem against Sunderland last month it was initially suggested he would be out for six weeks. However, the Belgium international, who celebrates his 21st birthday on Monday, is slightly ahead of schedule, giving Coyle some hope for this weekend. "We have to let it run its course," he said. "We cannot put anyone in if he is not fully fit, so we will see if there is any reaction to his training. But there is more of an onus on it now because of Joe's injury. "Prior to his injury, Dedryck was in a terrific run of form. "We know what he is all about. I am sure he is destined for great things." Of Coyle's longer-term absentees, Sam Ricketts is nearest a return from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in February, but even then he is still two or three weeks away from a reserve game according to his manager. As for Sean Davis, who after two major knee operations in an absence now stretching to 27 months, Coyle was cautious in his assessment. "Sean has done little bits and pieces of training on his own and he is getting better but it has been such a terrible time when you think how long it has been," said the Bolton chief.
