Town’s game against Bolton Wanderers at the Macron Stadium remains 0-0 at half-time.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was handed his Blues debut having signed on loan from Tottenham yesterday.
The 20-year-old was making a debut at Bolton for the second time this season having made his Sheffield United bow at the Macron Stadium earlier in the season when he scored his only senior goal up to now.
Carter-Vickers started alongside skipper Luke Chambers at the centre of the defence with Jonas Knudsen moving to left-back and Myles Kenlock dropping to the bench.
Also among the subs was Stephen Gleeson, who joined Town from Birmingham City yesterday.
Bartosz Bialkowski returned in goal having missed last week’s 1-0 victory over Leeds with a calf problem, while Dean Gerken dropped out of the 18 having been hampered by a hip injury in recent weeks. Michael Crowe was again the sub keeper.
The Pole in the Town goal was forced into action within the first 20 seconds, Carlos Vela battling his way into the area and stabbing towards goal, however, Bialkowski had come off his line quickly to block.
The game was held up for a couple of minutes moments later after Bolton’s Sammy Ameobi underwent treatment for a head injury after a clash with Callum Connolly before continuing.
The Blues, with David McGoldrick playing in the central role behind lone striker Joe Garner with Martyn Waghorn on the right, had most of the ball in the minutes after play got back under way but without creating an opportunity.
In the 11th minute the home side went close again, Gary Madine getting above Carter-Vickers to nod over at the far post from Mark Little’s right-wing cross. Seconds later, Will Buckley cut in from the left and shot over the bar.
Bolton had the ball in the net in the 15th minute, David Wheater lashing into the corner from just inside the box, but referee Peter Bankes had already halted play for a foul on Waghorn by Buckley as the cross had come into the box from the right.
Ameobi shot low to Bialkowski’s left from distance on 22 but failed to trouble the Blues keeper.
The game had developed into a scruffy affair with both teams giving the ball away needlessly far too often. On 25 Buckley again cut in from the left and hit an effort which looped off Carter-Vickers and into Bialkowski’s arms.
Two minutes later, a Town spell encamped in the Bolton half led to Bersant Celina crossing to the far post from the left and Cole Skuse knocking back across the six-yard area but with no Blues player on hand to add the final touch. Bolton gratefully cleared the danger.
The Blues were beginning to get on top - Celina was becoming more influential - with the Trotters increasingly unable to escape from their half.
Play did eventually return to the other end and on 33 Bialkowski punched away a freekick from the left but Waghorn conceded another freekick for a high boot on the edge of the box as he looked to clear. Madine hit the second set piece into the wall, then Derik Osede’s subsequent effort was deflected behind for a corner.
Two minutes later, Madine was shown the game’s first yellow card for a very late tackle on Skuse midway inside the Town half, well after the Blues’ midfielder had moved the ball on.
Town almost claimed the lead in the 40th minute having forced back-to-back corners. Waghorn sent the ball over from the left and Chambers flicked towards goal, Bolton keeper Ben Alnwick pulling off an excellent sharp save to his right. Iorfa laid the loose ball back to Waghorn but the Blues’ 10-goal top scorer blazed over.
It was the closest Town had come to a goal and they were beginning to look a more dangerous prospect. Soon after, McGoldrick did well on the right and ought to have produced a better cross.
A minute before the break Madine headed well wide for the home side from Antonee Robinson’s cross from the left.
Neither side seriously threatened during three minutes of injury time and the 0-0 half-time scoreline was a fair reflection of a scrappy and not hugely entertaining first period.
Bolton had had the better chances, with Vela’s early-seconds effort the nearest the Trotters had come to a goal, while the Blues had seen most of the ball but had only forced the one save from Alnwick, his impressive reflex stop from Chambers, while Waghorn will feel he should have done better with his subsequent strike.
Bolton: Alnwick, Little, Dervite, Wheater, Robinson, Henry, Osede, Buckley, Vela, Ameobi, Madine. Subs: Howard, Taylor, Le Fondre, Noone, Wilbraham, Morais, Darby.
Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Carter-Vickers, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Skuse, Connolly, McGoldrick, Waghorn, Celina, Garner. Subs: M Crowe, Hyam, Sears, Gleeson, Drinan, Kenlock, C Smith. Referee: Peter Bankes (Liverpool).