Portsmouth defender on how football authorities may yet be able to save Wembley trip

The defender feels pushing the Blues’ trip to the home of football back to the start of next season could be a way of rescuing their clash with Salford City.

The trip to the home of football is in doubt as the coronavirus crisis grips the world and the crisis deepens.

The Premier League and EFL campaigns have been suspended until April 4 and April 3, at the earliest, respectively after meetings took place earlier today.

That’s after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for the virus.

Pompey’s clash with Salford is slated to take place on April 5, which is outside of the initial suspension period, but it remains to be seen what will now develop.

There are so many variables in the unprecedented developments, but Bolton suggested moving the game into next season’s schedule could work.

Speaking before the suspension was announced today, he said: I think they could move it to the start of next season, something like that.

‘Maybe you could make the season start later.

‘If they postpone it they could do that to early next season or more of a pre-season thing.

‘It could be like the Community Shield. That could work. We have to wait and see.’

There’s been plenty of talk about the prospect of games potentially being played behind closed doors over the past couple of days.

Bolton is aware the coronavirus crisis is more important than football, but there would be obvious disappointment at the final being played in such circumstances.

The 25-year-old has been fortunate enough to play at Wembley three times already in his career to date.

Even with the Checkatrade Trophy win over Sunderland last year, not all of Bolton’s team-mates have been fortunate enough to have tasted that experience under the arch, however.

The right-back was part of the Shrewsbury side who lost in the play-off final to Rotherham two years ago and also tasted Wembley success as a Halifax player in 2016, as they picked up a 1-0 FA Trophy win over Grimsby.

With over 50,000 tickets already sold and another 5,000-10,000 tickets ready to be made available, Bolton knows a return with Pompey would be a bigger occasion than what he’s already experienced.

He added: ‘There’s the talk about it being behind closed doors, which is obviously a massive, massive shame.

‘There’s not much us as players can do. It would obviously never be the same occasion without the fans there.

‘It puts a big dampener on it for the lads, but we just have to wait and see what happens.

‘I’ve played at Wembley three times.

‘You want it to be as big an occasion as you can.

‘We’ve sold 50,000 already and that will make it bigger than all the other times I’ve played there.

‘You want those atmosphere games and different experiences. It would be a shame.

‘That’s not just the players but the fans as well, everybody. It’s not nice.

‘It’s all up in the air so we just have to wait and see.’