Bolton Wanderers and Bristol City will lock horns on Halloween as both sides look to return to winning ways in the Championship after a disappointing run of results in recent weeks.

The Wanderers were thrashed 5-1 by league leaders Middlesbrough last Friday night, while the Robins were held to a goalless draw away to Stoke City, extending their winless run to four matches.

Match preview

After securing promotion to the Championship last season under the guidance of Michael Schumacher, Bolton Wanderers have made a solid start to life back in the second tier and currently sit above the other two sides who joined them in earning promotion.

The Wanderers had been enjoying a promising run of form heading into their latest fixture, having lost just once in their previous five matches, a sequence that included a surprising but deserved victory over former Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, before suffering their heaviest defeat of the campaign last weekend.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Will Lankshear scored twice as Kim Hellberg's Middlesbrough side ran riot, with Theo Bair's goal proving little more than a consolation in a comprehensive 5-1 defeat for Schumacher's men.

Although Bolton were thoroughly outplayed on the night, their overall record of four wins, two draws and six defeats has still earned them 14 points from 12 Championship matches, leaving them with a six point cushion over the relegation zone.

While the early breathing space will be welcome following their return to the second tier, Bolton's defensive record remains a concern, with the five goals conceded against Middlesbrough taking their total to 23 for the season, with just two other sides in the division shipping more.

As for Bristol City, they travel to Greater Manchester in search of a much needed victory after their goalless draw against Stoke City extended their winless run to four matches under Michael Skubala.

Since the extended international break, the Robins have drawn with Charlton Athletic, suffered consecutive 1-0 defeats against Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United at Ashton Gate, and most recently shared the points with the Potters in Staffordshire.

Skubala was appointed Bristol City's manager after guiding Lincoln City to promotion from League One last season, but he has found the transition to the Championship challenging so far, with questions remaining over whether he has settled on his strongest starting lineup.

Even more concerning for the Robins is their lack of goals from open play, with Dominic Ballard's winner against Watford more than six weeks ago marking the last time they scored in that manner.

Their struggles in front of goal have been reflected in their overall tally of just 12 goals this season, an average of one per match and the lowest return among the top 18 sides in the division. 

With Bolton playing their first Championship campaign in six seasons, Saturday's contest will be the first meeting between the sides since January 2019, when Bristol City claimed a 2-1 victory, although the Robins have failed to win on any of their last five visits to the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

Bolton Wanderers Championship form:

Bristol City Championship form:

Team News

Following their heaviest defeat of the season against Middlesbrough, Schumacher could make changes to his Bolton side as he looks for a response from his players on Saturday.

Bair is expected to retain his place in attack after finding the net against Boro, although club top scorer Sam Dalby will be pushing for a starting role as the Wanderers look to improve their attacking output.

Despite conceding five goals last weekend, Republic of Ireland international Gavin Bazunu produced several fine saves to prevent the scoreline from becoming even more emphatic and is expected to remain in goal for the visit of Bristol City.

In terms of injuries, Bolton are expected to remain without Chris Forino and Ethan Erhahon, with the latter having sustained a muscle injury against Middlesbrough that forced him off shortly after half-time.

Bristol City, meanwhile, could also be forced into a change after Lorent Tolaj picked up an injury during the goalless draw against Stoke, with Sam Bell replacing him in the 62nd minute.

The announcement of the starting lineup ahead of that match also raised eyebrows after new goalkeeper Sam Tickle was dropped in favour of Brad Collins following a dip in form, while Skubala's tactical approach also attracted attention.

The Bristol City manager opted for a back three rather than his side's usual back four, and after securing an away clean sheet with the revised setup, he could stick with the formation for Saturday's trip to Bolton.

Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Bazunu; Larrazabal, Toal, Brunt, Famewo; Sheehan, Simons; Dong, R. Rodrigues, Gale; Bair

Bristol City possible starting lineup:

Collins; Tanner, McNally, Eissat; Cardines, Knight, Williams, Yah, Pring; Ballard, Bell

We say: Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Bristol City

With just one point separating the sides ahead of their Halloween meeting, Saturday's contest could prove closely fought as both teams look to put their recent struggles behind them and get their campaigns back on track.

However, we are backing Skubala's men to end their winless run with a much needed victory in Greater Manchester, giving the Robins a timely boost before they face a difficult test against promotion hopefuls Wolverhampton Wanderers.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.