August 01, 2015 | By Chris Mann

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David Wheater lasted just 38 minutes on his return to action, after limping out of a Bolton Wanderers XI's pre-season friendly at Southport.

Wheater, who has been blighted with knee and hamstring problems in recent seasons, was making his first outing of the summer at the Merseyrail Community Stadium, but had to be replaced by Jordan Lussey with the first-half drawing to a close.

The 28-year-old joined Wanderers in a £2.3million transfer from Middlesbrough in January 2011 but has been restricted to just 89 appearances during his time at Macron Stadium - with only 48 of those coming since the club's relegation into the Championship three years ago.

The seriousness of Wheater's latest blow isn't yet known, but, with a further spell on the sidelines expected, Wanderers face a defensive crisis ahead of the start of the new campaign with Dorian Dervite, Tim Ream, Quade Taylor and Niall Maher available for selection.