BOLTON Wanderers’ problems are piling ever higher ahead of Tuesday's FA Cup third round replay against Eastleigh at the Macron Stadium (8pm).

Key defender David Wheater faces six weeks on the sidelines after limping out of Saturday’s 3-0 Championship defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Wheater, who cleared an Andy Drury effort off the line in the 1-1 draw at Eastleigh’s Silverlake Stadium, has been one of the more consistent members of Neil Lennon’s squad this season.

But he damaged a hamstring in the second half at the City Ground and could be out of commission until March.

To add to their troubles, Wanderers had goalkeeper Ben Amos red-carded after 11 minutes when he sent Jamie Ward tumbling for a penalty, converted by Nelson Oliveira.

Oliver Burke headed home a second almost immediately before Ward grabbed Forest’s third late on.

“We never gave ourselves a chance,” said Bolton’s beleaguered boss Neil Lennon.

“They (the players) are inconsistent and that’s why we are bottom of the league. We can’t put two performances together for some reason.”

Lennon, though, refuses to give up and insists he will stay and fight for survival - and his own job.

“You’ve got to keep going,” he said. “We have a Cup tie to win on Tuesday, which will be difficult enough, before a huge game against MK Dons.”

On top of all that, troubled Bolton are due in the High Court tomorrow (Monday) where a bill of more than £2 million in unpaid tax and VAT is up for debate.