Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers are lining up a move for Austin FC winger Jayden Nelson. The 23-year-old Canadian international played at the summer's World Cup and has told his MLS club he wants to play in Europe. (The Athletic), external

Find more of Tuesday's EFL gossip here.

A two-year contract extension for Bolton Wanderers foward Ruben Rodrigues is a deserved reward for the player's performances, according to boss Steven Schumacher.

The 30-year-old scored twice in the Trotters' League One play-off final win against Stockport in May and this week agreed a new deal with the Championship club.

"He's been a really important player for us - we knew the quality he had and it was a brilliant bit of business for us in January," Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester.

"He started the pre-season really well but then unfortunately picked up an injury, but we spoke last week and I said he deserves rewarding with a new contract and thankfully he's agreed to the terms."

Rodrigues injured his knee in the Carabao Cup defeat by Sheffield Wednesday on 8 August and missed the league win against Preston last weekend, but Schumacher is hopeful of having him back sooner than initially expected.

"He went to see a knee specialist and he was really pleased with the strengthening of the knee. He scanned it further and said there was no major damage so hopefully it's on the shorter end of the scale of the four-to-six-weeks prognosis," said Schumacher.

Bolton visit QPR in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Listen to more Bolton Wanderers interviews and content on BBC Sounds.

Bolton won on their return to the Championship, but how can they compete with their big-spending rivals?

Listen to the newest episode of the 72+ podcast as Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by Bolton manager Steven Schumacher to break down the opening weekend of league fixtures in the EFL.

The panel also discuss Will Lankshear's dream start at Middlesbrough, how Southampton will deal with being pantomime villains after Spygate and whether VAR is needed in the Championship after a blatant handball helped West Bromwich Albion beat Norwich.

Plus, Jack Wilshere joins the pod after his Luton side came from 3-1 down to beat Reading in their opener, and he talks about his first pre-season as a first-team boss.

Listen to the full episode above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to the brand new 72+ channel to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

These two sides both came away with victories on the opening day of the season with QPR winning 3-1 at Portsmouth and newly-promoted Bolton beating Preston 2-1.

It is seven years since they last met in the EFL.

• QPR have won five of their past eight league meetings with Bolton Wanderers, losing only once (D2) – that defeat did, however, come the last time the two teams met in March 2019.

• Only one of Bolton Wanderers' 17 away games against QPR in the Football League has ended in a draw (W6 L10) – they are hoping to win back-to-back league matches away to the R's for the first time.

• QPR will be hoping to win each of their opening two league games of a season for the first time since 2016-17.

• After winning on the opening day, Bolton will be hoping to win each of their opening two matches of a second-tier campaign for the first time since 1977-78 – a season which ended in promotion to the top flight.

• Bolton Wanderers' manager Steven Schumacher has faced QPR twice before, both times in the 2023-24 Championship season but with two different clubs; he drew 0-0 away with Plymouth in December 2023 before winning 1-0 at home with Stoke City in February 2024.

Wolves have entered the race for Brighton winger Amario Cozier-Duberry, 21, with the England under-20 international remaining a target for Rangers and former loan club Bolton. (The Argus, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Kasey Smith
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Bolton returned to the Championship with a bang – and this was no scrappy win or game they simply edged.

Wanderers were in complete control for 80 minutes against a side that finished comfortably in 14th last season.

Of course, the overriding objective this season is to make sure we are here again next year. It is still very early days, but on this evidence, perhaps we can afford to aim a little higher.

If there was one major takeaway from the game, it was that Bolton are going to have plenty of opportunities in the Championship this year.

We are no longer the big fish in a small pond and I don't expect many teams to come to the Toughsheet Stadium with a low block and a determination to simply shut up shop.

Bolton have often struggled against sides who come to frustrate, but there should be far less of that this season. That could suit Wanderers.

Preston came to the Toughsheet looking to win, and they got burned. Bolton's defence did a superb job, catching North End offside seven times, while Wanderers were ruthless on the counter-attack.

There was plenty stacked against us going into the game. In-form Ruben Rodrigues was ruled out through injury, while our recent signings were unable to be thrown straight into the action. Yet several key players stepped up when it mattered most.

Ethan Erhahon hadn't played a minute of pre-season, yet he made the transition to the second tier look seamless.

Josh Sheehan, meanwhile, was excellent on his first appearance at this level.

Thierry Gale and John McAtee haven't always delivered the goods, but on this occasion, they produced exactly what was needed to get us over the line. Let's hope that is just the start.

The final 10 minutes did serve as a reminder of the demands of the Championship, but there is an important caveat.

Preston's best spell came only after Eoin Toal and new signings Samuel Iling-Junior, Lewis Brunt, Kyliane Dong and Ryan Hardie were introduced – none of whom had played many minutes in pre-season or had any time playing alongside each other.

That cohesion should only improve as the weeks go by.

And there is another reason for optimism. Of the sides promoted from League One over the past five seasons, only two have gone straight back down, with the last side being Wigan in 2023.

Without wanting to get carried away, I think Wanderers could shock a few people this season.

Steven Schumacher said after the win that we are in for an "exciting ride" this year and I think he was bang on.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Iceland striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson has announced his retirement at the age of 34.

Bodvarsson scored four goals in 64 international appearances for Iceland and started the Euro 2016 match in which his country upset England 2-1 to advance to the quarter-finals, a result that led to Roy Hodgson's resignation.

The striker spent almost ten years in England, first at Wolves, and then Reading and Millwall, before a successful spell at Bolton between 2022 and 2024 where he scored 25 goals in 94 appearances.

He also played for Wrexham and Burton Albion before heading home to Iceland to return to his first club Selfoss.

Bodvarsson said in a statement on social media: "I want to thank all my managers, coaches, players and staff members that I've been grateful enough to have met and worked with. It was great sharing the highs and lows of football with you."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your reactions to Bolton's 2-1 win over Lancashire rivals Preston on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

Bolton fans

Paul B: Superb collective performance and it could have been more. All of the new squad members fitted in well and will undoubtedly add more as they adjust. Great start to the new season.

Raymond G: Excellent start in this league against a so called decent side. Need another striker though. Well played Gale and Erhahon. Hopefully we will get fitter and make it less nervous in the last 15 minutes.

Richard: Was very worried after the game against Sheffield Wednesday but thought the team played well as a unit. Gale had the game of his life in the first half and glad both he and Dalby got on the scoresheet. Thought McAtee was as the unsung hero for Bolton though.

Stuart: Comfortable win against a poor Preston. Not sure why Bolton needed to make four subs in the last 15 mins which unbalanced the defence and midfield and nearly cost two points.

Mike: Dominated the game for 86 mins, then subs upset the balance and cohesion of the team leading to a goal back for the visitors, who grew in confidence and probably should have equalised in the dying minutes. But on the balance of the game Bolton earned their victory.

Image source, Getty Images

Preston fans

James: It feels like Preston have started the season a bit undercooked and lacking some firepower. Devine is a quality signing but still think we are missing some pace to support his precision.

Mike: Very poor performance from PNE. We've spent a lot of money by our standards, but after watching the game it's the defence which is in need of strengthening.

Ryan: Every aspect poor. Goalscorer only bright spark alongside Leroy. Subs too late after giving the starters time to do better, as they couldn't be worse. They were. Subs were ok. Good luck Trotters but you'll face tougher opposition!

Pete: A very lethargic first game for PNE. Bolton looked brighter all round the pitch and all the match apart from last 10 minutes.

Bill: Not up for it during the first 30 minutes. Can't miss 3 easy chances! Hecky sort it out or they will be the end of you!

Noel: Pathetic. Heckingbottom is so negative. Time for a change.

Bolton Wanderers head coach Steven Schumacher spoke to BBC Radio Manchester following his side's 2-1 win against Preston North End.

"That's what this division is like, it's mental. From being in complete control of the game [we] probably should be further ahead than what we were," he said.

"We are happy that they miss a sitter at the end to not take our three points away from us, which I felt on the whole we probably deserved. The Championship is going to be an exciting ride so strap in.

"We knew this was a big occasion for us today. The first game back at this level for such a long time. We're then playing against a local rival so there was so much riding on it and we prepared and we were ready to try to be positive."

Image source, Opta

Bolton return to the Championship for the first time since 2019 with a home game against Preston on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Steven Schumacher's men won promotion via the League One play-offs in May but began their campaign with an EFL Cup first round defeat at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

Paul Heckingbottom's Lilywhites overcame Huddersfield on penalties last time out but are winless in their past seven opening day fixtures, earning just three points, with their last win coming in 2018.

• Bolton Wanderers are winless in their past six league games against Preston North End (D3 L3), with this their first meeting since a 2-1 home loss in February 2019.

• Preston North End have won each of their past three away league games against Bolton Wanderers, as many as they had in their previous 19 visits to the Trotters (D4 L12).

• Bolton ranked third for expected goals (74.2) and second for expected goals against (48) in League One last season; they also scored the most goals in the final 10 minutes of matches in the third tier last term (21).

• Only Sheffield Wednesday (18) have lost more EFL Championship games in 2026 than Preston (11); the Lilywhites finished last season losing seven of their final 12 games (W3 D2).

• Only Lewis Dobbin (18) was involved in more of Preston's 55 EFL Championship goals last season than Alfie Devine (14 – 8 goals, 6 assists); four of his eight goals came following a carry, only Jack Clarke, Jaden Philogene, Joe Gelhardt and Leo Scienza had more (6).

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