Bolton Sign Darren Pratley and Sell Ali Al Habsi

Bolton Wanderers | News | Latest News | General | Wanderers Snap-Up Pratley

I missed this news over the holiday weekend, but Bolton bolster their central midfield options - in the wake of releasing Joey O'Brien and Tamir Cohen - by signing Swansea's Darren Pratley. Also, they have sold Ali Al Habsi to Wigan after his loan spell there last season.

Pratley has been improving his goal-scoring over the last two seasons and put in nine for the Swans last term. I won't pretend to know much more about him, or how he might be used at Bolton alongside the likes of Holden and Mulumbu Muamba, but consider this a marker and a reminder for further study.

Al Habsi is a keeper we've liked for a while now, and I for one am happy to see he's found a home at Wigan.  For fantasy purposes he may provide a good, cheap squad option who can rotate with David De Gea and the like.

Now we await the real news, which will be Bolton's signing (or taking on loan) a forward, be it Daniel Sturridge or someone else.

Birmingham Doubts

Big Eck confirms that Zigic,Fahey,Bowyer & Bentley are all doubts for Wigan.Rest of #BCFC squad trained as normal.Details due up on bcfc.comless than a minute ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®Birmingham City FC
BcfcDotCom

Al-Habsi!

Enabling the Future

There's a long time until "next week's" matches with the Premier League deferring to the FA Cup this weekend. There are a lot of games to be played between now and then and there are a lot of players whose injury status is in flux - Nani, Robin van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart come immediately to mind. Hell, this game week isn't even over as we have Chelsea/Blackpool and Everton/Birmingham still to be played.

But is any of that a reason, an excuse, not to be looking ahead? I think not! So here's an out-of-the-blue suggestion as you add, drop, and trade players, and configure and re-configure your lineup:

Kirkland to Play

When last we saw the Captain...

Hat tip to Y!FF reader Alex who notes that:

Captain Kirkland will not be a zero next week (probably minus) as Wigan play Bolton and Al Habsi will not be allowed to play against his 'parent' club.

Kirkland was on my provisional team as I'm trying to squeeze in both Drogba and Tevez at forward. Now I have to decide if I'm happy with this news or not. At first blush, Wigan have been much better defensively recently, but that could entirely be down to Al-Habsi's form.

There are no dull weeks in fantasy English Premier League play, are there?

Wigan take Al Habsi on loan

Al Habsi signs on the dotted line

UPDATE:  Here's some more information that sheds some light on the context of this signing:

Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland is off the club's pre-season trip to Sweden today with a back injury - to give Roberto Martinez a major headache.

Kirkland pulled up in training and will be left at home for treatment, leaving Latics with just one fit senior keeper in veteran Mike Pollitt.

If Kirkland is sidelined for any length of time Martinez may have to make an emergency signing as both Richard Kingson and Vladimir Stojkovic - who appeared for Nigeria and Serbia in the World Cup - have left the club.

So not only will Al Habsi provide backup for Kirkland, and not only could he challenge for the gloves... he may be wearing the gloves when the season opens, at home, against Blackpool.