The scene will be a lively one at the University of Bolton Stadium on Tuesday when Ian Evatt’s Bolton Wanderers will look to use their fans as motivation to beat an out of form Aston Villa in round two of the Carabao Cup. 

Bolton will look to bounce back after their defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday when they face Premier League opposition.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa will be desperate to pick up a victory after they were comfortably beaten by Crystal Palace at the weekend with manager Steven Gerrard currently under serious pressure by the fan base after a disappointing start to the campaign. 
 

  • Team news

Bolton
 

The home side survived the match against Sheffield Wednesday without any fresh injury concerns but Evatt could certainly be tempted to freshen things up on Tuesday. 

Captain Ricardo Santos returned to the squad at the weekend although he made a key mistake in the lead up to one of the goals the team conceded. Midfielder George Thomason is back from suspension and is likely to be involved. 

Elsewhere, striker Dion Charles has put himself in contention to start the match after returning to the pitch on Saturday after suffering a thigh injury on the opening day. He will be a welcomed addition for Evatt’s side. Defender Eoin Toal is back in training but Tuesday’s match might come too soon for the summer signing. 
 

Aston Villa
 

Gerrard will have a difficult dilemma ahead of Tuesday’s match with regards to which of his usual starters will keep their places and which will be dropped or rested. 
 

Villa will already be without Brazilian centre-back Diego Carlos who has undergone successful surgery after suffering an achilles injury against Everton. Defender Kourtney Hause could make a return to the side after returning to training following an injury, although a rumoured move to Watford may also be on the cards. 
 

Steven Gerrard has promised a relatively strong side for their trip to Bolton on Tuesday. We also await to see which Aston Villa youngsters will get minutes on Tuesday, such as; Tim Iroegbunam, Tyreik Wright and Cameron Archer. 
 

  • Likely lineups 

Bolton Wanderers: Dixon (GK), Jones, Santos, Johnston, Iredale, Morley, Williams, Dempsey, Afolayan, Bakayoko, Charles (4-3-1-2)

Aston Villa: Olsen (GK), Cash, Chambers, Mings, Augustinsson, Luiz, Kamara, Buendia, Watkins, Ings, Coutinho (4-3-3)

 

  • Key Players

Kyle Dempsey

Midfielder Kyle Dempsey has enjoyed a strong start to the season for Ian Evatt’s side so far. He has been ever present in the Wanderers midfield since he joined the club from Gillingham in January 2022. 
 

A creative midfielder, Dempsey has two goals to his name this season in four league games which is impressive in itself. He likes to get the ball down, run at defenders and feed passes into the front two. If Villa fail to do their homework, Dempsey could have a very eye catching evening and he will be the focal point for the team if he starts. 

Cameron Archer

Whether he starts or comes off the bench, all eyes will be on Aston Villa youngster Cameron Archer. The 20-year-old returns to Villa Park off the back of a very impressive stint at Championship side Preston North End, where he scored seven goals in 20 games. 

Archer has already made his Premier League debut this season and is definitely keen to make a lasting impression on the travelling supporters on Tuesday. With Steven Gerrard refusing to send him out on loan up to now, there are clearly high expectations for Archer’s future at the club and if Bolton aren’t tight at the back, they could be tempting a difficult evening. 
 

  • Match details

Where is the game being played?
 

Tuesday evenings match between Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa will be taking place at the University of Bolton stadium. 
 

What time is Kick-off?
 

The match will kick-off at 19:45 BST along with every other Carabao Cup fixture on Tuesday except for three games which begin earlier. 
 

How can I watch the game? 


Tuesday evenings match will be live on Sky Sports Football with live coverage beginning at 19:00 BST. This means the fixture will also be available via Sky Go and the Sky Sports app. There will also be radio coverage from your usual radio providers.