Bolton Wanderers defender David Wheater is out for nine months with a knee injury.

The Mirror says Wheater will be out for nine months with a knee ligament injury, in the latest setback for Owen Coyle's strugglers.

The Trotters' bad luck this season continued when scans revealed that the centre half had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while making an apparently harmless clearance against West Brom.

Astonishingly, Wheater tried to play on for a few minutes before limping off at half-time.

Wheater will need an operation and is likely to be missing well into next season.