By Mark Heys
December 24 2007

The games usually come thick and fast at this time of year and next up for Bolton Wanderers is a trip across the North West to take on European chasing Everton at Goodison Park on Boxing Day.

Bolton are still looking for their first away league win of the season but results have improved overall since Gary Megson took over from Sammy Lee at the end of October.

Earlier in the season a late minute Joleon Lescott header gave Everton the points in a 2-1 success at the Reebok Stadium so the Wanderers will hope to atone for that defeat and continue their respectable recent record at Goodison.

At the weekend a late Bolton goal rally saw off Birmingham City whilst the Toffees where unlucky not to have taken anything out of their game with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Megson has only striker Ricardo Vaz-Te amongst the long term injured as Blerim Dzemaili, Heidar Helguson and Joey O'Brien have all returned to training since the festive season began.

Everton manager David Moyes is sweating on the availability of midfielders Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill. Arteta missed the trip to United after picking up an illness whilst Cahill was withdrawn against the Champions after receiving a knock.

Ex-Wanderers captain Alan Stubbs (calf), Leighton Baines (hamstring), Leon Osman (foot) and goalkeeper Iain Turner (hip) will not be in contention against the Trotters.

The Merseysiders have not lost a game on their home turf since facing local rivals Liverpool in mid-October so Bolton will know they will have to give it their all if they are to get anything from the game.

LAST TIME WE MET:

01/09/2007 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Anelka) EVERTON 2 (Yakubu, Lescott)

BOLTON: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Nicky Hunt (Kevin Davies), Gerald Cid (Andy O'Brien), Abdoulaye Meite, Jlloyd Samuel, Kevin Nolan, Gavin McCann (Christian Wilhelmsson), Gary Speed, Mikel Alonso, El-Hadji Diouf, Nicolas Anelka

SUBS NOT USED: Daniel Braaten, Ali Al-Habsi (GK)

EVERTON: Tim Howard, Phil Jagielka, Joseph Yobo, Joleon Lescott, Leighton Baines, Steven Pienaar (Leon Osman), Lee Carsley (Thomas Gravesen), Phil Neville, Mikel Arteta, Andy Johnson, Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Victor Anichebe)

SUBS NOT USED: James McFadden, Stefan Wessels (GK)

PLAYED FOR BOTH:

Peter Beardsley, Brian Borrows, Martin Dobson, Gareth Farrelly, Albert Geldard, Asa Hartford, Glenn Keeley, Brian Kidd, Paul Lodge, Jim McDonagh, Neil McDonald, Ian Marshall, Gavin McCann, John O’Kane, Peter Reid, Gary Speed, Dennis Stevens, Alan Stubbs, Idan Tal, Mike Walsh

DID YOU KNOW:

Ten years ago these two clubs met around the Christmas period and the scoreline went 3-2 in favour of Everton thanks largely to a Duncan Ferguson hat trick.

Current Bolton coach Archie Knox was on the Everton coaching staff between 1998 and 2000 whilst Wanderers manager Gary Megson was a Toffees player in the late seventies.