JULIAN Darby will take training this morning at Wanderers as his role as interim manager goes into extra time.

The search for Ian Evatt’s replacement is “ongoing” according to the club but has now fallen behind the schedule that had been discussed at the start of the week.

Bolton are keeping tight-lipped on the reasons behind the delay – or indeed whether they have had to rethink their first choice completely – but they have now readied Under-18s coach Darby to start preparing the squad for their match at Reading this weekend.

Darby was unable to provide a definitive timeframe on a new appointment after Tuesday night’s win against Northampton Town but reiterated that he is not asking to be considered for the post, despite winning both of his games so far.

It remains to be seen whether Wanderers keep him as part of the first team set-up, however, after galvanising the group so successfully.

Former Stoke City and Plymouth Argyle boss Steven Schumacher has been the bookies’ favourite almost exclusively since Evatt’s exit, and it is understood that he has held advanced talks to become the next manager but yesterday he briefly fell behind David Wagner for the first time as the German coach’s odds tumbled.

Wagner, whose last job at Norwich City in the Championship came to an end in May 2024, worked with Bolton’s sporting director, Chris Markham, during a successful spell at Huddersfield Town in which he took the club to the Premier League.

Schumacher continues to look like a good fit, however, having led Plymouth out of League One with 101 points a few years ago and stabilised them at Championship level before working at Stoke.

Wanderers want to give their new boss a chance to do business in the transfer window, which closes at 11pm on Monday, and though they have identified potential targets that are available, they know the continuing uncertainty will work against them if it is allowed to linger.

Darby floated the possibility he could be brought into the firing line once again after the Northampton win and says he will continue to do his best for the club.

“We’ll keep going but the Reading game looks a long way away at this minute,” he said. “What happens will happen and we will have to wait to see if I get a shout for that. As I say, until they tell me otherwise, I’m making plans for Thursday.”

Wanderers moved into seventh spot with their win in midweek and regardless of how much involvement Darby has with the first team from here on in, he says the opportunity to work with them has convinced him there is enough spirit and quality to mount a serious promotion bid.

“It was important that we kept on the tails of the boys above us,” he said. “A couple of them were beaten – Huddersfield and Wrexham – so we’re just starting to claw in that little bit of extra ground now and it breeds confidence, it breeds belief, and that can go a long way.

“We have to keep some momentum going, so it becomes another important game on Saturday at Reading now.

“And then we see what happens at the end of the season. There’s a long way to go, a lot of points to play for yet, and they are a good group of lads, I think there’s a togetherness there which can really help you.

“I’d like to think they can go on and do it, definitely.”