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Samuel nearing Bolton return

Image: Samuel: Returning from lengthy lay-off

Owen Coyle is expecting Jlloyd Samuel to soon be back in the mix following a lengthy injury lay-off.

Trotters defender set to make comeback after thigh injury

Bolton manager Owen Coyle is expecting Jlloyd Samuel to soon be back in the mix following a lengthy injury lay-off. The 29-year-old full-back has not featured for the Trotters since a pre-season friendly with Osasuna in August due to a ruptured thigh. He played 90 minutes for the reserves in their 3-2 victory over Manchester City this week and is closing in on a first-team comeback. Coyle has ruled Samuel out for this weekend's Premier League clash at Newcastle, but expects the Trinidad and Tobago international to make a return sooner rather than later. "Jlloyd did very well to come back and play through the reserve game given he had been out for months," said Coyle. "He's back training with the group, but he's only had one reserve game, so he's certainly not in contention to face Newcastle. "However, he is progressing, which is great because he's a terrific lad as well as a top player. "We hope that with another couple of reserve games then he'll be right back in the mix. "That will be great because the loss of Zat Knight (knee) and Sam Ricketts (Achilles), who have been hugely influential as part of our group this season, were big blows." Coyle also confirmed defender Gretar Steinsson, who has been out for a month with a knee injury, may come into contention for the trip to St James' Park.

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