BOLTON Wanderers make the long journey to the south coast for a rearranged league fixture with Portsmouth, hoping to extend the gap on their promotion rivals.

The fixture was originally scheduled for Saturday, but has been brought forward as Bolton are in FA Cup action against neighbours Blackburn Rovers on that date.

Having edged six points clear of Rovers with a last gasp draw at home to Huddersfield on Saturday, Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is keen to steal a march on the promotion-chasing pack.

He said: "We have dropped points with a couple of draws recently, but this game gives us a chance to make a huge statement. It is a 'must get a result' type of game. None of the other leading teams are playing tonight, so we need to take advantage of that.

"I know it won't be easy. Steve Claridge is doing a great job in turning Portsmouth around. We are certainly not taking it lightly, but we will be ready and up for it."

Big Sam hopes to have striker Dean Holdsworth back in the firing line after a freak accident sidelined him for the Huddersfield game. Holdsworth slipped getting out of his car on Friday and damaged an ankle ligament. He faces a late fitness test.

Definitely missing, however, will be defender Paul Warhurst, who was forced out of the action after just 28 minutes of action on Saturday. "He has a hamstring problem, and probably should never have started," explained Allardyce.

"When we went 2-0 down, it was obvious he wasn't fully fit and I pulled him off straight away." Warhurst must now be doubtful for the eagerly-awaited FA Cup clash with former club Blackburn Rovers on Saurday. Ian Marshall is set to deputise alongside Colin Hendry, who has now finalised his permanent move from Coventry City to the Reebok Stadium.

BOLTON Wanderers make the long journey to the south coast for a rearranged league fixture with Portsmouth, hoping to extend the gap on their promotion rivals.

The fixture was originally scheduled for Saturday, but has been brought forward as Bolton are in FA Cup action against neighbours Blackburn Rovers on that date.

Having edged six points clear of Rovers with a last gasp draw at home to Huddersfield on Saturday, Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is keen to steal a march on the promotion-chasing pack.

He said: "We have dropped points with a couple of draws recently, but this game gives us a chance to make a huge statement.

"It is a 'must get a result' type of game. None of the other leading teams are playing tonight, so we need to take advantage of that.

"I know it won't be easy. Steve Claridge is doing a great job in turning Portsmouth around.

"We are certainly not taking it lightly, but we will be ready and up for it."

Big Sam hopes to have striker Dean Holdsworth back in the firing line after a freak accident sidelined him for the Huddersfield game.

Holdsworth slipped getting out of his car on Friday and damaged an ankle ligament. He faces a late fitness test.

Definitely missing, however, will be defender Paul Warhurst, who was forced out of the action after just 28 minutes of action on Saturday.

"He has a hamstring problem, and probably should never have started," explained Allardyce.

"When we went 2-0 down, it was obvious he wasn't fully fit and I pulled him off straight away."

Warhurst must now be doubtful for the eagerly-awaited FA Cup clash with former club Blackburn Rovers on Saurday. Ian Marshall is set to deputise alongside Colin Hendry, who has now finalised his permanent move from Coventry City to the Reebok Stadium.