Biggest crowd in two years as Leeds United close to fulfilling landmark ticket allocation

Sol Bamba.Sol Bamba.
Sol Bamba.
Leeds United are close to selling their entire allocation of 6,850 tickets for Saturday's FA Cup tie at Bolton Wanderers, the club's biggest following since the mass turnout at Blackburn two years ago.

Sales passed the 6,000 mark on Wednesday and will continue over the next 48 hours after financially-stricken Bolton offered Leeds the largest allocation ever given to a visiting club at the Reebok Stadium. Bolton are bottom of the Championship and in severe trouble amid a shortage of cash and the failure of proposed takeovers to reach a successful conclusion.

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The Lancashire club cut prices for Saturday’s game to £20 for adults and £5 for concessions and Leeds are in line to register their biggest away attendance since 6,839 turned out for a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn at Ewood Park in November 2013. Bolton reached round four of the FA Cup after surviving a replay against non-league Eastleigh. United, meanwhile, came through the third round with a 2-0 win at home to Rotherham United.

Leeds head coach Steve Evans is likely to field a full-strength team on Saturday but he has a major doubt over striker Chris Wood, who aggravated a hamstring problem away at Brentford on Tuesday.

Captain Sol Bamba should be available having missed Leeds’ 1-1 draw at Griffin Park.

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United granted the centre-back permission to fly home to France to deal with a family matter but he was expected to report to Thorp Arch for training tomorrow morning.

Evans said: “Sol came to me (on Monday) and asked if he could be excused to go home on a personal family matter.”