Bolton Wanderers midfielder Andrew Tutte has undergone successful surgery on a torn hamstring and there is a chance he could be back sooner than initially feared.
The 30-year-old former Bury and Morecambe midfielder agreed a new one-year contract at Wanderers over the summer, after making 20 appearances last season.
He has featured just once in the first team so far this campaign, playing the whole game of Wanderers' Papa John's Trophy win over Port Vale.
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But he picked up the injury in a Central League fixture against Accrington Stanley and underwent surgery in London on Saturday on the grade four hamstring tear.
The extent of the injury involved the tendon in Tutte's hamstring coming off the bone and means he will be out of action for the coming months.
Evatt initially gave a timeframe of between three and four months out of action for the midfielder.
But giving an update following the successful surgery ahead of tomorrow evening's trip to Chalrton Athletic, the Bolton boss said he is hopeful that Tutte will be out for the lower end of that scale, which would mean he could be back in action at the start of 2022.
However, the Wanderers manager urged caution due to the nature of the injury that the midfielder has suffered.
He said: “Surgery went well, he is positive, and we’re hopeful it will be more like three months than four.
"It is a nasty injury and there is lots of rehab to come."
